WestJet’s mechanic union gives carrier 72-hour strike notice By Reuters

(Reuters) – WestJet Airlines’ mechanics gave the carrier a 72-hour strike notice, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association union said on Tuesday.

The strike, set to begin by 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, covers about 681 aircraft maintenance engineers and other skilled employees, the union said.

No further work would be conducted by bargaining unit employees in the event of a strike, it said.

According to WestJet, the 72-hour notice does not mean that a travel disruption would occur.

The union’s announcement came after the carrier made a formal request that the Canadian Industrial Relations Board and Minister of Labour intervene under the Canada Labour code.

Last week, WestJet Encore’s pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, ratified a new five-year contract for pay increases with the Canadian regional carrier.

WestJet Encore operates a network of regional flights that serve the mainline WestJet Airlines.

WestJet, owned by Onex Corp, has been competing with rival Air Canada to meet the demands of employees to narrow the earnings gap with higher-paid peers in the United States.