WestJet to pay $4.5 million to settle sexual harassment class action

WestJet has agreed to pay $4.5 million (CAD) to settle a decade-long sexual harassment class action brought by thousands of female flight attendants.

A British Columbia judge approved the settlement on Monday after it was finalised in June following months of negotiations. The money will be divided among 3,452 flight attendants after expenses, including legal fees.

The lawsuit was launched in 2016 by former WestJet flight attendant Mandalena Lewis, who alleged the airline failed to provide a workplace free from harassment.

Lewis said she was sexually assaulted by a WestJet pilot during a Hawaii layover in 2010 and alleged the company failed to properly respond after she reported it.

The settlement does not include an admission of wrongdoing or mandatory anti-harassment training for pilots.

WestJet has agreed to commission an independent workplace inquiry examining harassment, underreporting and its reporting systems.

“We didn’t get justice here,” Lewis told The Guardian, saying she was disappointed with the settlement.

WestJet said it was “pleased to have reached a mutually agreed upon settlement”.

“We are committed to strengthening our operations and training, focused on the safety and wellbeing of all WestJetters and we are focused on advancing a culture of empowerment,” the airline said.