Case No. 2983 against the Government of Canada

Jurisdiction: 
Federal Government
Year/Month: 
September 2012
Case status: 
Follow up

Protecting Air Services Act (Bill 33, March 2012)

The law expressly denies the members of the  International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and he Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) their right to collectively bargain by mandatorily extending the duration of collective bargaining agreements, prohibiting otherwise lawful strikes, mandating compulsory final offer selection arbitration, ordering that the arbitration must be based on predetermined legislative criteria, forcing the unions to pay for the costs for the compulsory arbitration, and providing punitive sanctions and major financial penalties on the two unions and their representatives for violations of the law. 

Submitted by the International Association of Machnists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)

The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association found the legislation violates the ILO's fundamental principles of freedom of association.