The AJC congratulates CUPE members at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge who defied the federal government’s back-to-work order. Their tenacious and brave stand brought their employer to the bargaining table to end unpaid work. 

The AJC supports the right for employees to be paid for the work they perform and for the time they spend on the job. The AJC also strongly advocates for the right to bargain freely without government interference. By ordering these workers back on the job, the government undermined workers’ constitutional rights to engage in free collective bargaining.

Government intervention in this labour dispute struck at the core of workers’ rights – the right to bargain freely and the right to strike. We thank CUPE members for standing for all worker's rights. 

The AJC is concerned with the federal government’s use and reliance on Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. We urge Prime Minister Carney and Minister Hajdu to refrain from using this process in labour disputes, and to respect workers’ right to strike and bargain freely.