NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice announced plans on Tuesday to introduce a private member's bill aimed at abolishing a section of the Canada Labour Code that permits the government to halt strikes. Boulerice criticized the use of Section 107, which allows a minister to mandate binding arbitration to end work stoppages, claiming it has been misused by both the Liberal and Conservative parties.

His comments come in the wake of a recent incident involving Air Canada flight attendants. Just hours after they began striking, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu invoked Section 107 to order binding arbitration, attempting to return the workers to their jobs. However, the flight attendants continued their strike until a new agreement was reached days later.

Boulerice stated that the NDP has already contacted the House of Commons to initiate the process for the bill, emphasizing the urgency of its introduction. "It’s not really complicated," he said, indicating that the matter should be addressed swiftly.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents approximately 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, recently rejected the airline's wage offer in a vote held on September 6. Hugh Pouliot, a spokesperson for CUPE, expressed the union's desire to bypass mediation and move directly to arbitration, citing the low likelihood of an acceptable offer emerging from further negotiations. "The union spent nine months bargaining in good faith with the company on wages and saw no evidence that an additional three days of mediation will yield an acceptable result," Pouliot stated. He added that the union seeks an expedited process to ensure fair compensation for its members.

The union has raised concerns about inadequate pay for cabin crew members, claiming they work approximately 35 hours each month without compensation while planes are on the ground. In response, Air Canada has stated that it has proposed improvements to wages, pensions, and benefits, including a new contract provision that acknowledges time spent on the ground.

Additionally, the federal government is investigating allegations of unpaid work within Canada's airline industry, with Hajdu indicating that the inquiry is expected to conclude by early December.

On Tuesday, dozens of flight attendants rallied on Parliament Hill, wearing red shirts and holding signs with slogans such as "unpaid work won’t fly" and "we are not just a number." CUPE national president Mark Hancock expressed support for the NDP's initiative to eliminate Section 107, warning that if the government continues to use it against CUPE locals, the union will not comply. "We’ll make sure that they know that we’re not going to abide by that in the future," Hancock said.