With a weekend strike looming, Air Canada has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene in its contract negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association.
Talks with more than 5,000 pilots have failed to find common ground over the past 15 months. The government now can ask the Canada Industrial Relations Board to force arbitration, as it did last month, when Canada’s two largest railways locked out their employees.
According to the airline, the parties remain “far apart.” Unless an agreement is reached, either party may issue a 72-hour strike or lockout notice beginning on 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday, which would trigger the carrier’s three-day wind down plan, and a strike beginning on Thursday.
In an update issued Wednesday, Sept. 11, Air Canada said flights are operating normally and it would notify passengers of any impact to their flights ahead of their travel. Passengers can change their flights for free if they’re scheduled to travel during a potential strike.
At a news conference on Thursday, business leaders pressed the government to intervene, saying, “We cannot allow for even a single day of a strike given the consequences on our already very fragile economy.”