Ottawa, Ontario, March 7, 2012—Yesterday, the Honourable Lisa Raitt,Canada’s Labour Minister, received a strike notice from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW). As the parties involved are currently in a cooling-off period, the earliest they can strike would be 12:01 a.m. on March 12, 2012. This strike notice comes at a particularly bad time for thousands of families and the Government is taking this situation very seriously.
“Our government is concerned that a strike at AirCanadawould have a significantly negative impact on families and our national economy,” said Minister Raitt. “We encourage both parties to avoid a work stoppage and to restore confidence to the traveling public and Canadian job creators that rely on commercial air services.”
The collective agreement, covering a unit of approximately 8 200 technical, maintenance and operational support employees, expired on March 31, 2011.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service was established to provide dispute resolution and prevention assistance to trade unions and employers under the jurisdiction of the Canada Labour Code.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
For further information (media only):
Ashley Kelahear
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Raitt
819-953-5646
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
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