After months of stalled negotiations, 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday morning. The federal government stepped in hours later to order binding arbitration, forcing an end to the strike — or so it thought.
The union representing Air Canada flight attendants said Sunday it would defy the back-to-work order and remain on strike.
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The federal government used a contentious section of labour law to intervene and stop the strike, which began at 12:58 a.m. ET Saturday.
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu invoked Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, which gives the minister the power to order the end of a work stoppage to "maintain or secure industrial peace."
Hajdu used her powers to direct the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order both the airline and the striking workers back to work. Air Canada said Sunday it had been directed by the CIRB to resume operations and have flight attendants return to their duties by 2 p.m. ET.
Hajdu said she chose to intervene in the labour dispute because "the potential for immediate negative impact on Canadians and our economy is simply too great."
"Now is not the time to take risks with our economy," Hajdu told a news conference in Ottawa on Saturday. "A work stoppage would cause thousands of Canadians to be stranded abroad and across this country and this is simply unacceptable."
WATCH | How Hajdu intervened in the Air Canada labour dispute:
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