Federal government’s efforts to block job action has no effect, union says
Air Canada flight attendants are “in a legal strike position,” its union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees said in a statement released Wednesday which contradicted the federal government’s position. Labour Minister Lisa Raitt had previously said Ottawa would block a strike by referring the labour dispute to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), arguing a strike would disrupt the Canadian economy. The referral caught labour relations experts by surprise, since the CIRB’s mandate is limited to ruling on the legality of strikes and lock-outs, and there’s no reason to believe a strike by flight attendants would be illegal. Air Canada has said a possible strike won’t effect its operations on Thursday.