MONTREAL: A strike by WestJet Airlines’ mechanics that has led to hundreds of cancelled flights over Canada’s long holiday weekend will continue until a deal is reached, the union’s president says.

Bret Oestreich, president of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, said the two sides reconvened with a mediator on Sunday.

The union represents around 680 workers at WestJet, including aircraft maintenance engineers, who went on strike last Friday after 97% of its members rejected a pay deal reached in May.

“All we want to do is to go back to the table,” said Oestreich. “The strike will be in effect until we get an agreement.”

He said the two sides are separated by a first-year economic difference of approximately 7%, or less than US$8mil, on a roughly four-year contract.

WestJet Airlines said on Sunday that it had cancelled an additional 410 flights overnight, for a total of more than 800 flights, as the strike entered its third day.

“WestJet is in receipt of a binding arbitration order and await urgent clarity from the government that a strike and arbitration cannot exist simultaneously,” said airline president Diederik Pen.

On Saturday, WestJet chief executive officer Alexis von Hoensbroech blamed the union for the disruption.

He argued that the union leaders refused to negotiate.

 - Reuters