A potential strike over the Canada Day long weekend at WestJet has likely been averted.
The federal labor minister has ordered binding arbitration to resolve the dispute between the airline and its mechanics, which almost certainly risks delaying the work stoppage.
A strike could otherwise have disrupted flights for hundreds of thousands of travelers over the long weekend, according to the airline.
In a social media post Thursday afternoon, Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan said he was using his powers under the Canada Labor Code to resolve the impasse between the two parties.
The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association issued a 72-hour strike notice Tuesday amid tense negotiations over a first collective agreement between WestJet and some 680 maintenance engineers.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board could choose not to suspend the right to a work stoppage while a collective agreement is being developed, but precedent suggests that this outcome is unlikely.
The Calgary-based carrier had already begun taking action, canceling about 25 flights Thursday and Friday in anticipation of a work stoppage starting Friday at 5:30 p.m. MT.
Union members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative deal earlier this month and opposed WestJet’s application to the country’s labor court.
