Organizations representing over 200,000 businesses across Canada called on the government Thursday to intervene to avert a potential strike by pilots at Air Canada, which they fear could have a significant impact on the economy.
“No one wins in a strike, but a labor disruption would cause a lot of harm to a lot of people,” stated Goldy Hyder from the Business Council of Canada during a press conference in Ottawa. ” Canadians cannot afford another disruption to our economy.”
The association, along with approximately one hundred others, sent a letter to the federal labor minister requesting him to mandate arbitration to resolve the labor dispute.
This week, the country’s largest airline announced it is preparing to suspend most of its flights starting Sunday due to negotiations reaching a “standstill” with its 5,200 pilots. If discussions fail, a complete shutdown of operations is anticipated on September 18.
Candice Laing from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce emphasized that a halt in Air Canada’s operations would not only disrupt passenger transport but also affect the delivery of food, manufactured goods, and other essential materials.
“It’s about businesses of all sectors of the economy and communities of all sizes… trying to stay connected across our incredible land mass and geography,” she said. “This is a national issue.”
The airline’s pilots are seeking to align their wages with those of their American counterparts; however, Air Canada contends that their demands “far exceed average Canadian wage increases.”
Air Canada serves 47 countries and transports an average of 110,000 passengers daily across its 670 flights.
