Air Canada CEO says government must order binding arbitration if pilots' deal can't be reached
CBC
Air Canada said Thursday the federal government will need to step in and order binding arbitration if the airline can't reach a deal with the pilots' union, warning a strike would upset travel plans for least 110,000 travellers every day.
A statement from the company said talks with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents 5,200 pilots at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, are currently stalled.
"Government direction for binding arbitration will be necessary to avoid a major disruption of air travel," if talks don't start moving, it said.
"We are taking all measures to mitigate any impact, but the reality is even a short work stoppage at Air Canada could, given the complexity of our business operating on a global scale, cause prolonged disruption for customers," Michael Rousseau, Air Canada's president and CEO, wrote in the statement.
"So, while we remain committed to reaching a negotiated settlement with ALPA, the federal government should be prepared to intervene if talks fail before any travel disruption starts."
Airline spokesperson Christophe Hennebelle previously said Air Canada is committed to negotiations but faces "unreasonable wage demands" from the pilots union that it can't meet.
Canada's largest airline and the union have in negotiations for more than a year without result. Both sides will be in legal strike or lockout positions on Wednesday after giving 72 hours' notice.
A shutdown would stop roughly 670 flights a day, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of passengers and interfering with connecting flights with airlines from around the world. Air Canada has said it will start cancelling flights on Friday and would gradually shut down before the Wednesday deadline in preparation for job action.
The union has said it's corporate greed that is holding up talks, as Air Canada continues to post record profits while expecting pilots to accept below-market compensation.
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said Wednesday that there's no reason a deal can't be reached and said both sides should "knuckle down" to make it happen.
Numerous business groups convened in Ottawa on Thursday calling for action — including binding arbitration — to avoid the economic disruptions a shutdown of the airline would cause.
Arbitration "can help bring the parties to a successful resolution and avoid all the potential impacts we're here to talk about today," said Candace Laing, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, during a news conference.
"Canada cannot afford another major disruption to its transportation network. A labour disruption at Air Canada would ripple through our economy," said Goldy Hyder, chief executive of the Business Council of Canada, in a statement.
Last month, Ottawa ended a massive railway work stoppage less than 17 hours after it began, when MacKinnon directed the federal labour board to impose binding arbitration on CN Rail, Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail and their workers.
One of Prince Edward Island’s last surviving Second World War veterans has died.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada has too much regulation and not enough investments in clean energy and technology — and he's making his most direct repudiation yet of his predecessor's environmental policies.
WARNING: This story contains distressing content, including racist, violent and antisemitic language.
A national Jewish advocacy organization is taking legal action against Manitoba's medical regulator over a complaint it made last year alleging a prominent doctor made antisemitic comments on social media.
A cat that went missing in a remote area of northeastern B.C. is finally back home with its family in Oklahoma, five months later.
It wasn’t clear trolleys would be a hit in Medicine Hat, but the Sunshine Trolley has wound its way into Hatters’ hearts.
More than 200 volunteers and politicians gathered in Etobicoke Saturday for the Daily Bread Food Bank’s holiday sort.
The rising cost-of-living has already made supporting a family difficult this year. But, the holidays can make staying on budget that much harder.
Strong winds across the Maritimes left thousands of N.B. Power customers without electricity on Saturday afternoon — and it could be days before all customers have their power restored.
Toronto police say they located a body inside a downtown Toronto home Saturday.
Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge is responding to public outcry against his government’s policy changes for non-permanent residents by making a plea to the federal government.
A man in Saskatoon is in hospital after being shot by police as officers executed a warrant late Friday night.
RCMP say a man who was reported missing near Key First Nation has been found deceased.