WestJet strike likely averted as Ottawa imposes arbitration on airline, mechanics

A possible long-weekend strike at WestJet Airlines Ltd. has been averted. The federal government on Thursday directed the airline and plane mechanics into binding arbitration to resolve their dispute, a move all but certain to avoid a work stoppage that could otherwise have disrupted flights for hundreds of thousands of travellers over the Canada Day long weekend. In a late-afternoon social media post, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said he was invoking his authority under the Canada Labour Code to resolve the impasse between the two sides as the clock ticked down toward a Friday evening deadline. “Strong first agreements set unions and employers on the path of collective bargaining,” O’Regan said. “They set a strong foundation to build upon at the bargaining table and bring the parties one step closer to a strong second agreement and an even stronger third agreement — reached at the bargaining table. That’s what we want to see here.” The Canada Industrial Relations Board could opt not to suspend the right to a work stoppage as it hammers out a contract, but precedent suggests that outcome is unlikely.<br/>