Tories to Force Air Canada Flight Attendants Back to Work

Well, at least the Tories are consistent with their union-busting.

Canada's new labour wars could soon have a new front on their hands, as the federal government has indicated it will intervene if Air Canada's 6,800 flight attendants strike this Thursday. Labour Minister Lisa Raitt says she'll follow the precedent she set with strikes by Air Canada's ticketing agents and Canada Post workers by passing back-to-work legislation because of concerns that strikes could derail Canada's "fragile" economy. She's also considering making changes to the Canada Labour Code's mediation process, as it hasn't exactly worked so well in averting major national strikes in recent months. Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees rejected Air Canada's final contract offer over the weekend, just days after the air carrier finalized a contract with its pilots. Both Air Canada and CUPE say they would much rather settle through negotiations instead of having the feds force a deal down their throats. The opposition NDP says it will not support any back-to-work bills and would prefer the two sides resolve their issues through arbitration.