Liberals’ unconstitutional and ‘offensive’ use of Labour Code in Air Canada dispute marks ‘turning point’: union leader

The government’s move will likely be struck down in court, says labour law Professor Ravi Malhotra, but litigation takes time, giving the employers ‘an advantage’ in labour disputes when the feds step in.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees has reached a tentative deal with Air Canada after the union defied a federal back-to-work order invoked only hours after workers took to the picket line. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY ELEANOR WAND

August 20, 2025

The government's recent use of Sec. 107 to quash a strike by Air Canada flight attendants proves the labour law is "unenforceable," says Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske, who argues frequent reliance on the code violates unions' constitutionally-protected right ...

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