Court approves $4.5M settlement in WestJet flight attendant harassment case

A British Columbia court has approved a $4.5-million settlement in a class-action lawsuit over workplace harassment of flight attendants at WestJet.

The settlement was approved this week after a judge ruled it fair and in the best interest of the eligible employees, JFK Law states on its website.

The lawsuit alleged that WestJet failed to live up to its contractual “promise” to provide a harassment-free workplace.

Former flight attendant Mandalena Lewis, who spearheaded the suit, said she is experiencing “a whole wave of emotions” at the moment.

“I still feel anger,” she said in a phone interview from her home in Victoria on Friday.

“I’m glad this is over,” she qualified, framing the outcome as “the absolute best we could get.” But the dollar amount — the settlement works out to less than $500 per recipient — and the measures required of the company fall short of what she initially hoped for.

The agreement requires WestJet to retain a third party to conduct an assessment that looks at the prevalence of harassment in the workplace, underreporting and how response systems can be improved.

WestJet said Friday it was pleased to reach a settlement and will work to comply with it.

“Equally as important, we are committed to strengthening our operations and training, focused on the safety and well-being of all WestJetters and we are focused on advancing a culture of empowerment,” said spokesperson Jen Booth in an email.

It does not amount to an admission of liability or wrongdoing by WestJet, the settlement states.

The agreement applies to more than 3,400 current and former female flight attendants who worked for WestJet between April 2014 and February 2021, according to the law firm.

An online claims portal is being prepared and those who submit valid claims could receive roughly $470, the firm said.

The settlement marks the denouement of a legal saga that began in 2016, when Lewis filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court.

Fired less than two months earlier after eight years with WestJet, she has spoken publicly about what she calls “toxic” relations and “cowboy culture” at airlines.