Flight attendants and WestJet have been engaged in contract negotiations since September 2025.

“We have been clear about what needs to change, and we have worked hard to reach a fair deal,” said Alia Hussain, president of the CUPE 8125 union, adding the union’s goal was to reach an agreement without disrupting air travel.

Its website on Sunday as the walkout began, simply said “on Strike”. It displays a counter showing the 213 days, hours and minutes WestJet cabin crew had been “without a valid collective agreement”.

A sticking issue has been pay, with the union saying that flight attendants are expected to work without pay up to 35 hours per month for duties performed when the plane has yet to take off.

“Boarding, safety sweeps, assisting passengers, and ground delays are entirely on our dime,” said flight attendants on a union website campaigning for the end of the policy.

On its website, WestJet said its flight attendants are paid by block hours that start when the plane leaves the gate and ends when it arrives at the next gate, adding that it is “the standard pay model for cabin crews across North America”.

The airline said wages under the credit hour system include compensation for work done before take-off and landing.

Cabin crew make anywhere between C$28 ($20; £15) to $58 ($41; £31) per hour, according to WestJet.