Pilots went on strike in May
May is just around the corner for a new long weekend! Many international students may also plan to travel or return to their hometowns in May, but those who have travel plans in the near future may have difficulties! If you're planning to fly with WestJet, your travel plans may be ruined
On Monday, WestJet pilots issued a 72-hour strike notice to the airline's management and the federal government, and the final countdown to the strike began as contract negotiations dragged on.
Now, YVR is trying to stay ahead of any potential consequences.
Vancouver Airport Authority spokeswoman Alyssa Smith said: "We will be arranging extra staff here as this is the long weekend in May, so this weekend can be very busy and passengers would do well to be prepared as much as possible." ”
WestJet said it is preparing to shorten operating hours, which could lead to flight changes and cancellations.
The airline pilots' association said members planned to strike early Friday, prompting the WestJet Group to respond with a stoppage notice.
Strikes can lead to hundreds of flights grounded every day!
"Currently, we have four cancellations today and most of the flights are running as planned," Smith said. We operate between 120 and 130 flights per day. ”
The main focus of strike negotiations is on job protection, scheduling and pay. Unions claim that WestJet pilots leave the airline every 18 hours on average for their competitors.
About 10 days ago, WestJet pilots began demonstrating before strikes at Canadian airports. The Association of Airline Pilots (ALPA), which represents about 1,600 crew members at WestJet and its subsidiary Swoop, said in a statement that it was prepared to issue the notice over the weekend, but delayed it to allow negotiations to continue.
The union added that the delay gave both sides time to review additional proposals. Unless a deal is reached, pilots are now ready to start a strike at 3 a.m. ET (1 a.m. MT) on Friday, the union said.
(Image: Global News)
In a statement this week, the Calgary-based airline said its pilots are among the highest-paid pilots in Canada, but they fall short of financial terms compared to recent contracts struck by some pilot groups in the U.S. because it puts the company's future at risk.
In response to the strike notice, the airline issued a suspension.
In a statement Monday night, the company said: "This expectation is unreasonable. ”
WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said in a statement: "The decision to issue a closure notice was not taken lightly in response to the union's action today, and we sincerely regret the inconvenience and uncertainty this continues to cause to our guests. We will continue to work around the clock to reach reasonable agreements as soon as possible in an effort to prevent labor strike action. ”
In the event of a flight delay or cancellation, the airline said "affected guests will receive refunds or relocations depending on the circumstances." ”
For those who book directly through WestJet or Swoop, changes to existing travel will be communicated directly via email.
People who book online through a travel agent or through a third party should contact them directly.
If you recently booked a trip with WestJet! Plan ahead as much as possible to avoid delays!
(Image: Global News)
Wildfires burst out! The situation is critical! Emergency evacuation
Multiple new evacuation orders and alarms were issued overnight as wildfires burned in northeastern BC, while more than 20,000 people in Fort St. John's remained on evacuation alert.
Shortly after midnight, the Pease River area extended evacuation orders to the Downey Creek/Tommy Lake area, about 150 kilometers north of Fort St. John, to the border with the Northern Rocky Mountains Regional Borough near Fort Nelson. Evacuation alerts in the area were also extended to more properties.
An evacuation order means people must leave their homes immediately, while an alert means people should be prepared to leave at short notice and collect necessary items, including medications, identification and pet supplies.
Provincial emergency officials are expected to provide an update on the wildfire situation in Kamloops at 10:15 a.m. Pacific Time today.
More than 60 active wildfires are burning across the province, including six notable wildfires at the Prince George Fire Centre in the northeast of the province. Notable wildfires are those that are "highly visible" or may pose a threat to public safety.
Two notable wildfires burning near Fort St. John — Stoddart Creek and Red Creek — are thought to be out of control, as are the Cameron River and Donnie Creek wildfires, also in the northeast.
At 7:15 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, the BC Wildfire Service said on Twitter that crews had withdrawn from fighting the Stoddart Creek and Red Creek fires due to the "ferocity of the fire, smoke and poor visibility produced," and structural protection crews would work overnight to protect property southeast of the two blazes.
As a precautionary measure, some businesses have closed, and the Peace River North School District has canceled classes at several rural schools this week in response to evacuation orders, but schools within Fort St. John's remain open.
BC Hydro said it had suspended work on the Site C dam project, located a few kilometers southwest of the city, as a precautionary measure.
(Image source: CBC)
It's not just wildfires that are dangerous, floods are raging!
Because of the potential danger of flooding, residents of three small communities on the Skina River in northwestern B.C. were told they were prepared to leave their homes at short notice.
On Tuesday morning, the Kitimat-Stikine area issued evacuation alerts for Old Remo, New Remo and Usque, located in the low-lying floodplain near Terus, BC. The area's emergency operations center said the alarm could soon turn into an evacuation order if flooding worsens — which would require residents to leave immediately.
Less than two hours after Tuesday's evacuation alert, B.C.'s River Forecasting Center upgraded the flood risk for the Skina, Balkley and surrounding tributaries to a flood warning.
The warning means that the river level has exceeded the top of the bank or is about to exceed that level, causing flooding in the surrounding area.
Flooding in the Skina River could reach its highest level in 20 years as early as Wednesday, as prolonged hot weather accelerates snowmelt across much of B.C., the center said.
(Image source: CBC)
It also estimated that the Barkley River, near Smithers, about 300 kilometers west of Prince George, BC, would flood that night and could reach its highest level in 10 years on Thursday.
The BC Forest Department warns people to stay away from rushing rivers and potentially unstable banks, and to avoid any recreational activities on or near waterways under warning.