Liberals deny blame for causing Westjet strike
The Westjet mechanics strike is over but the chaos it wrought will affect passengers for days and weeks to come.
The Trudeau Liberals are running away from this fiasco as far and fast as they can — in the case of Labour Minister Seamus O’regan, all the way to his home riding in St. John’s, N.L.
Screwups between O’regan and the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) caused this strike.
“Lack of clarity from the government and the decisions taken by the CIRB allowed for a strike to occur amidst binding arbitration,” Westjet president Diederik Pen said in a statement.
After O’regan ordered the CIRB to impose arbitration, the board complied but then said: “the ministerial referral does not have the effect of suspending the right to strike or lockout.”
On came the strike. Why not? The feds had virtually invited a walkout by members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA).
This brought a Canada Day weekend with 1,078 flights cancelled and more than 100,000 travellers grounded in airports in Canada and abroad.
Now we see the typical blurring and fudging that comes with intense political need to flee accountability.
At first, O’regan expressed mild disapproval of the CIRB.
“I am reviewing the board’s decision, which is clearly inconsistent with my direction,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.
But then, his review told him he doesn’t have any power at all.
“The board is independent of the government and I respect its authority,” he said.
That’s absurd. Hadn’t he just demanded binding arbitration, and the board followed his direction?
Westjet questioned whether it’s even possible, or legal, to go on strike when binding arbitration has been declared. But the CIRB granted permission and the mechanics union accepted.
O’regan's final tweet on Monday was priceless.
“Westjet and AMFA have reached a tentative agreement, Canadians’ patience having been worn too thin,” he said.
“Collective bargaining is the responsibility of the parties. The responsibility of the government is to facilitate and mediate that bargaining.
“The parties finally did their jobs.”
The government did not do its job. All it facilitated was a strike that didn’t have to happen.
Westjet chief Pen said: “The damage to Canadians and our airline is massive, a swift resolution was necessary; we take no victory laps on this outcome but will sleep better tonight knowing further harm has been prevented.”
The union claimed success but also a touch of remorse.
“We believe this outcome would not have been possible without the strike, but we do regret the disruption and inconvenience it has caused the travelling public over the Canada Day holiday period.”
The hapless sacrifices to this dispute are all those travellers across Canada and beyond.
They are certainly entitled to compensation for the total price of their tickets as well as related expenses.
This will take time, even if it happens. The airline may claim it’s not at fault for the strike.
The final ruling on compensation could fall to another federal body, the Canadian Transportation Agency.
Somehow, that doesn’t inspire confidence.
Many people are blaming Westjet as much as the union or the government.
On Monday afternoon, a reader named Ian Read said: “My wife and I are stuck in Atlanta and have been on the phone with Westjet for four hours and they still haven’t found us a way home to YYC. Yet, today’s flight to Vancouver wasn’t cancelled. “Management needs to go.” O’regan soon buried his strike tweets with a long string of ecstatic comments on the Memorial Day ceremonies in Newfoundland and Labrador, which included honouring the Unknown Soldier from the First World War.
O’regan was with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the moving ceremony.
At one point, the PM was introduced and a single person applauded, says a witness.
That’s pretty much the political reality for these people.