The union argued that such actions undermine fair bargaining by allowing employers to avoid negotiating in good faith.
“We denounce in the strongest terms this assault on our constitutionally protected right to free and fair collective bargain and our right to strike,” said CUPW in a Dec. 13 statement.
Ottawa invoked section 107 of the Labour Code to issue the directive. This is the same authority it used earlier this year to end labour disputes at Canada’s railways and ports, which also resulted in binding arbitration.
MacKinnon, however, noted that this approach differed from previous interventions, said the Canadian Press. By involving the CIRB rather than imposing binding arbitration outright, he said the government sought to encourage further dialogue.
Business groups, which had been pressing for government action, welcomed the intervention. With the holiday season in full swing, many companies and consumers had been struggling to find alternative delivery options during the strike.
