Air Canada says government must block strike if pilots' deal can't be reached

Air Canada said Thursday the federal government will need to step in and block pilots from striking if the two sides can't reach a deal, warning that job action would disrupt travel plans for least 110,000 travellers every day. A statement from the company said talks with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents 5,200 pilots at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, are still stalled with days to go before the critical deadline. "Government direction for binding arbitration will be necessary to avoid a major disruption of air travel," if talks don't start moving, it said. "We are taking all measures to mitigate any impact, but the reality is even a short work stoppage at Air Canada could, given the complexity of our business operating on a global scale, cause prolonged disruption for customers," Michael Rousseau, Air Canada's president and CEO, wrote in the statement. "So, while we remain committed to reaching a negotiated settlement with ALPA, the federal government should be prepared to intervene if talks fail before any travel disruption starts." Airline spokesperson Christophe Hennebelle previously said Air Canada is committed to negotiations but faces "unreasonable wage demands" from the pilots union that it can't meet. Canada's largest airline and the union have been in negotiations for more than a year without result. Both sides will be in legal strike or lockout positions on Wednesday after giving 72 hours' notice, which could come any time after 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday. If there is strike or lock-out notice, Air Canada has said it will start gradually winding down its operations in anticipation of a strike on Wednesday. Flight cancellations would begin Sunday and continue until flights stop completely on Wednesday.<br/>