Harper defends action on Air Canada
Canadians ‘overwhelmingly expect’ government to keep airline flying, PM says
Prime Minister Stephen Harper weighed in Friday on the two ongoing labour disputes involving the country’s largest airline, saying he believes the Canadian public expects government to step in to avoid a shutdown of Air Canada.
During an appearance in Toronto, where he announced construction of an underground tunnel connecting the city to Toronto Island airport, Harper said the circumstances surrounding the Air Canada situation — it was set to lock out its pilots as of Monday, and was facing strike action the same day by its mechanics and ground crew — required government action.
“Air Canada came to us during the ... global (economic) crisis, and asked specifically for government assistance in a number of areas because of the dangers shutting down the airline would represent to the Canadian economy,” Harper said. “I’ll be darned if we will now sit by and let the airline shut itself down.
“Under these circumstances at the present time, this is not what the economy needs and it is certainly not what the travelling public needs at this time of year. As much as there’s a side of me that doesn’t like to do this, I think these actions are essential to keep the airline flying and to make sure the two parties find some way through mediation arbitration of resolving these disputes without having impacts on the Canadian public.”
Harper said his main concern is the Canadian public, “and I think the broader Canadian public overwhelmingly expects the government to act.”
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is believed to be readying backto-work legislation to keep Air Canada flying if her latest move to block a work stoppage fails.
A spokeswoman for Raitt said the minister put a bill “on notice” in the House of Commons. It is not known when, or if, the bill might be formally tabled in the Commons.
On Thursday, Raitt stepped in to prevent a labour disruption at Air Canada over the busy March break by referring its dispute with the unions representing its pilots and machinists to the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
“Given our fragile economy, we’ve said before, a work stoppage is unacceptable,” she told reporters in Ottawa.
Raitt said she would ask the CIRB to determine whether Air Canada could be considered an essential service.
She has used similar means in the past to head off a work stoppage at the Port of Montreal, at Marine Atlantic and at Air Canada last October to avert a strike by flight attendants.
The decision effectively puts any strike or lockout on hold; no work stoppage can go forward while the disputes are being reviewed by the board.