Flight cancellations grow as WestJet mechanics hit picket lines

On one of Canada’s busiest long weekends, thousands of travellers find themselves stranded due to a mechanics’ strike at WestJet. The airline has cancelled at least 235 flights, affecting thousands of people. This turn of events comes as a surprise, as the Canadian federal government had imposed binding arbitration in an attempt to prevent the work stoppage. WestJet claims that the union walked away from a deal that would have made the maintenance engineers the highest paid in Canada. The government is now intervening, meeting with both sides to seek a resolution. Sean O’Shea has that story.

• Flight cancellations grow as WestJet mechanics hit picket lines