Aircraft maintenance engineers and technical operations employees at WestJet Airlines initiated a strike at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, following a union decision spurred by a 97% rejection of a tentative pay deal in May. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) initially withdrew a strike notice on June 20 but reinstated it on June 28 after renewed negotiations failed. WestJet, backed by Onex Corp and competing with Air Canada, criticized the strike, anticipating significant travel disruptions if not resolved promptly. The airline vowed to hold AMFA accountable for the disruption and associated costs.