CALGARY — WestJet has agreed to pay C$4.5 million to settle a long-running class-action lawsuit involving allegations of workplace harassment among female flight attendants.The settlement was approved by the B.C. Supreme Court on Monday. The lawsuit, known as Lewis v. WestJet Airlines Ltd., was launched in 2016 by former WestJet flight attendant Mandalena Lewis.Lewis was a former WestJet flight attendant based in Vancouver who worked for the airline from March 2008 until January 2016.The case alleged that WestJet failed to properly prevent and respond to workplace harassment involving female flight attendants. The allegations included claims that the airline's systems for reporting and investigating harassment were inadequate and that complaints were not always appropriately addressed.Lewis also alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a WestJet pilot during a layover in Hawaii in 2010 and that the airline did not properly investigate her complaint..WestJet has denied the allegations and has not admitted liability or wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The agreement resolves the claims without a trial determining whether the allegations were proven.The class action covers female WestJet mainline flight attendants who worked for the airline between April 4, 2014, and Feb. 28, 2021. About 3,452 people are included in the class.The settlement amount will cover payments to eligible class members as well as legal fees, expenses and other costs. The amount each individual receives will depend on the final distribution of the settlement.In addition to the financial settlement, WestJet has agreed to an independent assessment of its workplace policies and procedures related to harassment. The review will examine the airline's systems for reporting harassment and potential barriers that could prevent employees from making complaints.“I’m glad it’s over … but I’m just exhausted. I’m shaking my head,'' Lewis told The Guardian. “We didn’t get justice here,” .Lewis said other members of the class action also expressed disappointment with the settlement. Eight class members asked the B.C. Supreme Court in February not to approve the agreement, raising concerns about the amount of money available to claimants and what they described as a lack of accountability from WestJet.According to JFK Law, WestJet will pay $4.5 million as part of the settlement. Court-approved legal fees, expenses, taxes, the representative plaintiff’s honorarium and administration costs will be deducted from the settlement, with the remaining funds distributed to eligible class members who submit valid claims.The lawsuit dates back nearly a decade and went through several stages of litigation before the B.C. Court of Appeal certified it as a class action in 2022.The settlement brings the legal proceedings to an end without a court ruling on the underlying allegations.
