Ministry to pilots: ‘Get back to work’
OTTAWA — Government had a strong message for Air Canada pilots who caused dozens of flight delays and cancellations on Friday morning — get back to work.
The pilots caused havoc in airports across the country when they skipped work as part of an organized “sickout” campaign.
The disgruntled pilots were upset about federal anti-strike legislation passed last month, as well as recent threats by Air Canada to fire two of their union’s top executives. As a result, some pilots called in “sick” in a protest not officially sanctioned by their union. Air Canada criticized the employees for taking part in what it called an illegal job action.
“It’s a dangerous move,” said Ian Lee, who teaches business at Ottawa’s Carleton University. “All they’re doing is diminishing the brand of Air Canada and sending passengers to other airlines. We don’t teach in business schools that it’s a good thing to alienate and send to competitors.”
“The fact that this number of people has been stranded is unacceptable,” said Pierre Poilievre, parliamentary secretary to Transportation Minster Denis Lebel. “It’s essential to our economy to keep planes in the sky.”
Poilievre, who said the pilots should “get to work,” said government is monitoring the situation and is waiting to see the result of a complaint by Air Canada to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board before taking action.
This is the second rogue job action at the airline in the aftermath of the federal bill. The legislation, introduced last month, removed the right of the airline to lock out its workers and prevented the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) and the union representing mechanics and ground crews from striking.
Friday’s stoppage came after threats by the airline to fire union chief Jen-marc Belanger and ACPA president Paul Strachan for remarks they made in separate television interviews questioning the safety of the airline.
The rogue pilots said Friday’s job action was necessary because the back-to-work bill prevents a legal strike.
“The government and the corporation have largely handcuffed our leaders,” they wrote in an email. “Our . . . chair Jean-marc Belanger and our president Paul Strachan, giants in defending your rights, are having their careers threatened. You attack one of us you attack us all.” Toronto’s Pearson International was hardest hit, with more than 25 cancelled flights. The Regina International Airport’s website reported late Friday afternoon that only one departure, the Friday evening flight to Toronto was affected, with a delay of 80 minutes. Looking to Saturday, the website said Air Canada’s flights from Regina will be unaffected, though in the past the airport authority has always advised travellers to continually check the website for changing situations.