Labour Minister didn’t react to heckles from Air Canada workers
Posted Mar 24, 2012 04:22:32 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO – The federal labour minister’s office says Lisa Raitt didn’t make any comments to Air Canada workers on Thursday.
The ground workers heckled Raitt as she walked through Toronto’s Pearson airport.
Their union says Air Canada suspended three alleged hecklers, triggering a wildcat strike that caused travel chaos yesterday as it spread to Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver.
Union spokesman Bill Trbovich says the airline then fired 37 workers who took part in the wildcat.
He adds that the strike ended because an arbitrator ruled there would be no reprisals against the workers — including the 37 terminated — if they returned to their jobs.
Air Canada employees are furious with the Harper government for denying them the right to strike.
Labour experts blame the government action for the continuing labour trouble at Air Canada.
Queen’s University labour expert George Smith says that while it protected air travel in the short term, its preventing Air Canada from resolving disputes with its workers.
