Air Canada strike: Massive movement turns into confrontation with the federal government

Faced with the scale of the disruptions, Ottawa finally became angry. A few hours after the start of the strike by 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, which has grounded hundreds of flights since Friday, August 15 , the federal government ordered a return to work on Saturday, August 16, in the name of "industrial peace" and to "protect Canada's interests." Employment Minister Patty Hajdu triggered the use of section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to force a return to service and avoid a lasting traffic blockage in the middle of summer. "This is not the time to take risks with the economy," she insisted at a press conference.

Specifically, it is referring the matter to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), which will oversee the resumption of operations. The dispute is being referred to an independent arbitrator. Its final decision will be binding on both Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents cabin crew.

^Ms. Hajdu presents this path as "the most stable" to resolve a conflict with serious repercussions for passengers and supply chains. According to the minister, more than 40% of shipments of critical goods—pharmaceuticals and human tissues, in particular—transit through Air Canada. According to figures from the specialist company Cirium, cited by the Associated Press, Air Canada canceled 199 flights on Friday, 671 on Saturday, and planned to suspend another 96 flights on Sunday, August 17, due to the strike. This wave of cancellations affected between 100,000 and 130,000 passengers, including some 25,000 stranded abroad.

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