CTV News
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said the government will table back-to-work legislation if Air Canada's unionized flight attendants go on strike this week, but a deal to end the labour dispute is "close."
Raitt met with Air Canada and union officials early Monday evening and said "they are close enough to get a deal, they should be able to do it."
But she said if the flight attendants strike, the government will introduce the back-to-work bill as soon as possible.
"We're doing this because it is the best thing for the economy, it's the best thing to do for the Canadian public and it's the best thing to do for the airline," Raitt told reporters Monday night.
Talks between the company and the union continue in Montreal.
An Air Canada spokesperson said a deal is within reach.
"We're close and committed to reaching a negotiated agreement which is preferable to back-to-work legislation for all parties concerned," Peter Fitzpatrick told The Canadian Press.
"We've shown that we can achieve negotiated settlements and Parliament should be left to running the country."
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing almost 7,000 flight attendants, is in a legal position to strike at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning. The earliest time back-to-work legislation could be introduced is later that day, so Air Canada may still have to deal with a work stoppage.
A walkout in June by Air Canada customer service agents lasted a mere three days after Raitt said she would force them back to work.
The government twice introduced back-to-work legislation earlier this year, forcing Canada Post workers back to their jobs and an Air Canada union to accept a deal within hours of the bill being tabled.
The NDP fiercely opposed the Canada Post back-to-work legislation, turning the debate into a marathon 58-hour filibuster that kept Parliament running past its scheduled summer break.
NDP interim leader Nycole Turmel told CTV's Power Play that the party will "support the workers" and didn't rule out another filibuster.
NDP Labour critic Yvon Godin said the government is hurting the union's ability to negotiate.
"The strike is even not started yet and she's already telling Canadians in this country under the Conservative government there's no strike," he said after Raitt's news conference.
The June strike slowed Air Canada service but did not cancel flights, but a strike by flight attendants could ground the airline.
Air Canada says in event of a strike it could operate a partial schedule with help from its partners.
The company says travellers booked to fly over the next six days can change their flights free of charge to a later date.
The keys points of dispute for the two sides are wages, pensions, crew rest and working conditions.
In August, Air Canada flight attendants rejected a tentative deal negotiated by CUPE with the airline.