Business Council Alberta calls for immediate federal action to end WestJet disruption
Calgary, AB, Aug. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With negotiations between WestJet and its flight attendants at an impasse, the Business Council of Alberta (BCA) is calling on the federal government to intervene immediately to restore air service.
In 2025, the federal government acted within hours of the Air Canada cabin crew strike. Canadians affected by the WestJet disruption deserve the same urgency and a consistent response from their federal government for an Alberta based airline. The Business Council of Alberta calls on the federal government to invoke Section 107 of the Canadian Labour Code to end the strike and get WestJet planes flying again.
“More than 15 hours have passed since WestJet flight attendants went on strike during one of the busiest travel weekends of the summer,” said Adam Legge, President of the Business Council of Alberta. “The federal government has both the authority and the responsibility to intervene. The BCA urges them to act immediately to restore air service and limit further harm to Canadian families, businesses, and the economy.”
Disruptions across Canada’s ports, railways, airlines and seaways have become increasingly commonplace. In 2025, Canada lost 4.3 million person-days to work stoppages—the highest number ever recorded. The transportation sector accounted for 36 per cent of all stoppages and experienced more than 60 work stoppages over the past two years. This is no longer an occasional disruption; it is a recurring pattern of instability that Canada cannot afford.
This instability risks undermining the country’s competitiveness, trade relationships, and the attraction of private-sector investment in which Prime Minister Carney has himself set a goal of $1 trillion in total investment over five years.
Beyond resolving the immediate disruption, the BCA urges the federal government to pursue reforms that strengthen early dispute resolution, improve bargaining certainty, and reduce the likelihood of prolonged disruptions in nationally significant transportation and supply chain networks. The recent submission is here: the Canada Labour Code
Canadians should be able to make plans for a long weekend, and businesses should be able to make plans for long-term investment, with confidence that Canada’s transportation networks will keep moving.
About the Business Council of Alberta
The Business Council of Alberta is a CEO-based council comprised of more than 130 chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of the province’s largest enterprises. Council members are proud to represent the majority of Alberta’s private sector investment, job creation, exports, and research and development. BCA is committed to working with leaders and stakeholders across Alberta and Canada in proposing practical public policy solutions and initiatives that will make life better for Albertans. www.businesscouncilab.com
Lauren Stewart Business Council of Alberta 4035606968 lstewart@businesscouncilab.com
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