Hub Podcasts Air Canada strike: What Canadians flying need to know about possible flight cancellations
Aug 14, 2025
Ian Lee, a Professor at the Sprott School of Business, offers a deep dive into the looming Air Canada strike and its implications for travelers. He discusses the lack of competition in Canada's airline sector, dominated by Air Canada and WestJet, and how this affects pricing and union negotiations. Lee also explores potential government interventions and the historical context of labor disputes in transportation. The conversation raises important questions about the need for deregulation to benefit consumers and enhance airline services across Canada.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Government Will Likely Intervene Quickly
- Governments repeatedly legislate transportation strikes back to work because transport disruptions create intense national pressure.
- Ian Lee documents at least 44 interventions from 1950 to 2024, showing intervention is routine not exceptional.
Researching Past Interventions
- Ian Lee recounts his 2015 research 'Striking Out' on historical government interventions.
- He used Library of Parliament data to show 36 interventions from 1950 to 2015.
Modern Tools Replace Parliamentary Bills
- Parliament historically legislated striking transport workers back to work many times, across parties.
- Recent governments use labour-code tools (arbitrators, mediators, board orders) instead of controversial bills but still end strikes.