As labor dispute escalates, Air Canada wants government intervention

OTTAWA, Ontario: Air Canada is urging the Canadian government to be prepared for potential intervention as labor talks with its pilots escalate.

The airline has been in contract negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) for over a year, but tensions have grown as the union demands wage increases in line with U.S. pilots, while Air Canada argues these demands are unrealistic.

Air Canada spokesperson Christophe Hennebelle stated that the airline is committed to continuing negotiations but emphasized that the wage demands exceed what the airline can meet. "We are faced with unreasonable wage demands that ALPA refuses to moderate," he said.

The union, representing 5,200 pilots, argues that the airline has been posting record profits and expects its pilots to accept wages below market standards. They assert that pilots should receive compensation comparable to their U.S. counterparts.

Starting Sunday, both sides can issue a 72-hour notice for a potential strike or lockout, meaning a full work stoppage could occur as early as September 18. Air Canada has already indicated that such notice would trigger a three-day wind-down plan, severely disrupting operations.

While Air Canada is not requesting immediate government intervention, it is calling on the government to step in and prevent a major disruption that would affect over 110,000 daily passengers. "The government should be prepared to ensure we avoid this disruption for the benefit of Canadians," Hennebelle added.

Business groups in Ottawa, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, have also called for action to prevent economic fallout from a possible airline shutdown. Candace Laing, president of the Chamber, suggested binding arbitration could help reach a resolution and avoid severe disruptions.

Federal Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon has urged both sides to come to an agreement, stating, "There's no reason these parties can't reach a collective agreement. They need to knuckle down and get a deal."

Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said, "If there are any bills being proposed on back-to-work legislation, we're going to oppose that."