OTTAWA — "Nobody should work for free in this country."
Jobs minister Patty Hajdu said she has ordered a probe into allegations of unpaid labour in the airline sector.
In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter) late Monday afternoon, the Thunder Bay—Superior North MP said the probe will begin immediately
"If employers are exploiting loopholes in the Canada Labour Code, we'll close them," she said.
"Nobody should be expected to work for free."
CUPE, the union representing striking Air Canada workers, says flight attendants are expected to perform unpaid work while the aircraft is on the ground, such as helping passengers board.
The issue of ground pay is an important sticking point in the strike, which has continued despite being deemed illegal by the The Canadian Industrial Relations Board.
Air Canada says its latest offer does address the issue of ground pay. The union says that Air Canada only recently offered to start paying flight attendant for some of their duties on the ground and continues to refuse compensation for time spent responding to safety and security-related issues on the ground, such as medical emergencies.
Roughly 12 hours into the strike and lockout, which began on Saturday, Hajdu referred the dispute to the labour board, ordering the parties into arbitration.
"Both parties, the union and the corporation, said they were at an impasse," said Hajdu in the X video. "But it's not too late to get a deal."
"In fact, the corporation and the union could sit down today and find a path forward together," she continued. "And that will result in the best deal."
