Last week, Air Canada flight attendants continued their strike, defying the federal government’s order to return to work, and eventually reached a new agreement with the company. The incident has now drawn attention to Canada Post employees, whose strike was halted by the same order last year.

“Every union, especially Canada Post employees, is looking very carefully at what’s happening at Air Canada,” Toronto labor lawyer Lily Codin told CTV.

The Air Canada flight attendant strike, which began early Saturday, has canceled hundreds of flights and disrupted the travel of more than 100,000 passengers. The government immediately took action, invoking section 107 of the Canada Labour Act to order the return to work. However, the strikers have continued to protest, despite legal threats, until a new interim agreement is reached.

The issue has raised new questions about the effectiveness of section 107. “If unions can simply refuse to comply with the order, what is the value of this provision?” he said, stressing that section 107 is more in the interest of employers and takes away the right to strike – a fundamental and constitutional tool – from unions.

Canadian Labour Congress President Bea Bruske also called the provision “virtually ineffective” in an interview, adding: “The labour movement has become bolder and will not back down.”

Meanwhile, the Postal Workers Union has rejected the Canada Post’s final offer and is returning to the negotiating table with a new proposal. It is not yet clear whether the talks will lead to another strike.

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