Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared Friday to pour cold water on the idea of government intervention in a potential strike by Air Canada pilots.
Speaking to reporters in Quebec City, Trudeau was more definitive than he has previously been on the potential for government intervention.
“I know every time there’s a strike, people say, ‘Oh, you’ll get the government to come in and fix it.’ We’re not going to do that. We believe in collective bargaining,” Trudeau said, who acknowledged that the government has stepped in during other labour disputes.
“Yes, we have and we will protect the Canadian economy, but first and foremost is putting all the pressure on the people who need to feel that pressure, unions and the employers,” Trudeau said.
Both sides are still at the bargaining table, with just a few days left before a potential work stoppage.
Air Canada’s pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, but need to give the airline 72 hours official notice. The airline could also lock its employees out, with 72 hours notice.
Trudeau left the government some wiggle room to potentially refer the dispute for binding arbitration, but made clear it was far from his first choice.
“We won’t take action until we get to a point where it’s clear that no negotiated agreement is possible when there’s a lack of good faith to actually reach an agreement,” Trudeau said.
Friday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined a chorus of Canadian business groups calling on the government to block any work stoppage from happening, by referring the two sides to binding arbitration.
“The government of Canada must take swift action to avoid another labour disruption that negatively impacts cross-border travel and trade, a damaging outcome for both people and businesses,” the U.S. Chamber said in a joint statement with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council of Canada.
While NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have both come out against potential back-to-work legislation, Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon could still use Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to ask the Canada Industrial Relations Board to refer the dispute to binding arbitration, as he did with the strike by workers at CN Rail and CPKC earlier this summer.
“It’s a perfect back door for a government that doesn’t have the assurance it will be able to pass legislation,” said McMaster University labour studies professor Stephanie Ross, noting that Trudeau has a minority in the House of Commons.
Last month, MacKinnon asked the CIRB to order binding arbitration to settle a strike by rail workers at CPKC and CN. The CIRB agreed, sparking heavy criticism from unions across the country, and a legal challenge by the rail workers.
In June, MacKinnon asked the CIRB to order binding arbitration in negotiations between WestJet mechanics and the airline, but the CIRB refused.
Friday, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline hasn’t cancelled any flights because of the labour dispute yet, but said it has stopped accepting some cargo, such as live animals and perishable goods. Some planes, Fitzpatrick added, have had their routes changed.
“We have also changed the routing assignments of certain aircraft to ensure they are properly positioned for such things as planned maintenance in event of a disruption,” Fitzpatrick said.
While the two sides have made progress during 15 months of negotiation, there’s still a substantial gap when it comes to salary. Air Canada has called the union’s salary demands “unreasonable,” while the union has said the airline needs to close the gap the pilots have with their American peers.
“We still need to see some significant moves from Air Canada at the table to get to a deal that is really worthy of the pilot group’s consideration,” said pilot Charlene Hudy, the chair of ALPA’s Air Canada bargaining unit.
With files from Mark Ramzy
