'This has clearly become too much of the norm,' says president of FETCO
With the number of worker strikes in Canada rising — including the one by WestJet workers — the Federally Regulated Employers - Transportation and Communications (FETCO) is calling on Ottawa to amend the Canada Labour Code to create a special mediator role for high-stakes labour disputes.
The group — which represents employers such as Air Canada, WestJet, Bell Canada and Canadian Pacific Railway — says the recent scale of work stoppages across air, maritime, rail and telecom sectors is unprecedented.
"This has clearly become too much of the norm," said FETCO president and CEO Derrick Hynes, according to a CTV News report.
He described the recent scale of disruption as unprecedented.
"In each of the last two years, there have been more work stoppages in the federally regulated space than we had seen in the previous 10 years combined," Hynes told the publication.. FETCO has not published independent data supporting this comparison; the figures reflect the association's own characterization.
"Clearly, there's a systemic problem here that needs to be addressed," he said.
FETCO's proposed changes to Labour Code
FETCO is proposing "small changes" to the Code rather than a broad overhaul, according to the report. The changes would create a revised process used only when a potential work stoppage carries major economic consequences, as determined by the minister when "the national public interest is at stake."
Hynes argued the costs of disruption extend beyond the bargaining parties.
"Someone needs to speak for the wide swath of Canadians — that's workers, consumers, small businesses and others who are continuing to pay the price for this labour unrest," he told CTV News, adding that repeated disruptions threaten Canada's reputation as a trading nation.
The proposal's centrepiece is a special mediator with authority beyond that of mediators currently appointed under the Code. Hynes said that if mediation failed, the mediator could issue a public report to the minister and recommend a path forward — an authority that "does not explicitly exist currently in the code."
The federal government's own consultation document, released through Employment and Social Development Canada earlier this year, lists the creation of a special mediator role among the dispute-resolution tools under consideration, alongside changes to bargaining timelines and other reforms, noted employment law experts at Fasken.
WestJet strike
WestJet cabin crew — about 4,400 flight attendants represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 8125 — went on strike after failing to reach a new contract with the airline.
Both sides issued 72-hour notices on July 30, 2026: CUPE gave strike notice, and WestJet responded with a lockout notice the same day. The walkout officially began at 12:01 a.m. Mountain Time on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
The central issue was compensation for work performed before and after flights — boarding, ground delays, deplaning and related duties. The union says its "credit hour" pay system leaves members working roughly 35 unpaid hours a month. WestJet disputes this, saying its credit-hour system already accounts for ground time as the standard pay model used by cabin crew across North America.
Before the strike, WestJet said it had offered a 13% wage increase in 2026 with 2.5% annual increases through 2029, plus a duty-period premium it said was worth a further 12% in effective compensation.
On Tuesday, the two sides reached a tentative agreement, putting an end to the strike.
"We are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that reflects the hard work and professionalism our cabin crew,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, Chief Executive Officer of WestJet. “We know this disruption has been frustrating for our guests and WestJetters and we're sorry for that. Our teams are working hard to restore service and get our guests on their way to their destinations as quickly as possible and we appreciate everyone's patience as we get back to normal.”
CUPE 8125 President Alia Hussain said: “This tentative agreement represents meaningful progress. It evolves the flight credit system by recognizing more of the work cabin crew are required to perform and with general increases to compensation for that work. Most importantly, this agreement was achieved through collective bargaining at the negotiating table.”
