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CBC
7 minutes ago
- CBC
'I absolutely reject the notion that our government is anti-union': Hajdu
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said early Saturday afternoon that she has invoked Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order binding arbitration between Air Canada and its union and has ordered operations to resume, hours after 10,000 flight attendants went on strike.
CTV News
37 minutes ago
- CTV News
Parents protest as Parry Sound students face classes in construction sites
Parents and students gathered outside Parry Sound District High School on Friday, voicing frustration over the Near North District School Board's handling of school construction delays. With both the existing high school and the new JK-12 site under construction, families say they lack clear answers about safety and logistics for the upcoming school year. 'Today we're just trying to hype up the awareness of the Near North District School Board's plan. We're questioning their contingency plan,' said Shane Reynolds with the group 'Parents for Parry Sound.' 'We're standing in front of the existing high school, which is a third broken down right now with demolition. We have questions that are still outstanding.' Parry Sound - Parents Protest Parents and students gathered outside on August 15, 2025, to voice frustration over the Near North District School Board's handling of school construction delays. With both the existing high school and the new JK-12 site under construction, families say they lack clear answers about safety and logistics for the upcoming school year. (Madison Marier/CTV News Northern Ontario) Amy Black, another parent with the group, echoed concerns over transparency. 'We band together when push comes to shove, and we are not taking a very vague media release as a satisfactory answer,' she said. 'We want proof that the school is safe. We want proof that the well-being of the children is the priority. So far, we have yet to see that.' Board releases contingency plan Late Friday, the board published an eight-page contingency plan on its website and social media, addressing safety and operational adjustments. The document confirms that fire alarms, PA systems and security cameras remain functional at Parry Sound High School, despite partial demolition. A conference room will serve as a temporary library, while a classroom will host bagged lunches in place of a cafeteria. Parry Sound school construction site Parry Sound High School sits as a construction site as demolition had started on the building before it became clear a the new school's construction would not be completed for the start of the 2025-26 school year. (Madison Marier/CTV News Northern Ontario) In a media release, the board acknowledged the 'delay and resulting confusion' but emphasized that student safety and learning continuity are 'paramount.' The plan, developed with input from the Ministry of Education and community partners, remains 'fluid,' with updates to be shared via email and a dedicated webpage. Uncertain timelines and logistics The $58.5 million school project, funded by the province in June 2023, has no confirmed completion date. The board stated it is working with contractors to finalize timelines but warned that exterior work may continue into 2026. Parry Sound - New school rendering An undated computer graphic rendering of what the new Parry Sound JK-12 school will look like when consturction is completed. (Supplied/Near North District School Board) Temporary measures include redistributing some students to McDougall and Nobel Public Schools, which the board says have 'sufficient capacity.' Transportation details are expected by Aug. 25, and remote learning has been ruled out as an option at this time. Calls for transparency persist Parents continue to push for in-person updates, but the board has not committed to a town hall, stating it will rely on digital communications. Reynolds and others argue more direct engagement is needed. 'We want our questions answered,' Black said. 'Right now, it feels like we're being kept in the dark.' Parry Sound - Parents Protest Parents gathered outside on August 15, 2025, to voice frustration over the Near North District School Board's handling of school construction delays. With both the existing high school and the new JK-12 site under construction, families say they lack clear answers about safety and logistics for the upcoming school year. (Madison Marier/CTV News Northern Ontario) The Near North District School Board urges families to monitor its website for further adjustments as the school year approaches and check its new FAQ page to address common questions.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Hajdu orders binding arbitration, resumption of operations to end Air Canada strike
Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu rises during question period in House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, May 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government is intervening to resolve a labour dispute at Canada's largest airline that scuttled hundreds of flights, stranded travellers and threatened the economy. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said she directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants to resume operations and resolve the dispute through binding arbitration. Hajdu said she made the call after meeting with both sides Friday night, finding that talks had broken down and the parties remained too far apart to resolve the conflict quickly enough. "Now is not the time to take risks with our economy. A work stoppage would cause thousands of Canadians to be stranded abroad and across this country and this is simply unacceptable," Hajdu said at a news conference in Ottawa on Saturday. "This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but the potential for immediate negative impact on Canadians and our economy is simply too great." The move came on the first day of a strike by its flight attendants and amid intense pressure from business groups to resolve the labour disruption that threatened an economy already reeling from the economic toll of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. 'With both parties declaring an impasse in negotiations, with valuable cargo grounded and passengers stranded, the government made the right decision to refer the two sides to binding arbitration," said Matthew Holmes, head of public policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, warning nearly a million Canadians could be affected by the travel disruptions. Air Canada cancelled more than 600 flights over the past two days in preparation for a potential work stoppage, and Hajdu said it could be days before service returns to normal. Hajdu said the cancelled flights have already been causing "significant harm" to the economy and the disruptions are negatively affecting travelling Canadians and the national economy. She pointed to labour disruptions last year that had a "massive" impact on the entire economy. Those included a major rail strike involving CN Rail and CPKC and port strikes in Montreal and Vancouver that disrupted supply chains. Ottawa had intervened in those instances in the same way, by invoking Section 107 of the Labour Code that lets the minister refer disputes to the labour board to enforce industrial peace. But the union and federal political parties fired off shots at the government for stepping in, arguing the move upends the union's collective bargaining abilities. Wesley Lesosky, head of the Air Canada Component of CUPE that represents the flight attendants, accused the Liberals of "talking out of both sides of their mouths" by intervening after saying the best place to reach a deal is at the bargaining table. "The Liberals are violating our Charter rights to take job action and give Air Canada exactly what they want: hours and hours of unpaid labour from underpaid flight attendants, while the company pulls in sky-high profits and extraordinary executive compensation," Lesosky said in a statement to media. Conservative labour critic Kyle Seeback said in a statement that Prime Minister Mark Carney is showing he is "no friend to workers" and would "rather reward his corporate buddies" than help the flight attendants in their struggle for fair compensation. 'No worker – federally-regulated or otherwise – should be forced, especially by the government, to work without being paid," Seeback said. "Yet, that is exactly what flight attendants are being ordered to do." NDP Leader Don Davies posted on social media that this is a "blatant misuse of that section" of the Labour Code and called for the Liberals to "recall Parliament and democratically debate back-to-work legislation, if they feel it's justified." The union, which represents more than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada, had announced its members were walking off the job after it was unable to reach an eleventh-hour deal with the airline, following some eight months of negotiations. The strike officially began just before 1 a.m. ET on Saturday and in turn, Air Canada locked out its agents about 30 minutes later due to the strike action. Ottawa announced it would step in just under 12 hours after the strike officially began, and just a day after Hajdu said she saw signs there might be a path forward for the two sides. The minister said her optimism quickly faded after a "disappointing" meeting with both parties on Friday night. "I asked them to continue to meet throughout the night. The mediators were there assisting the parties, and this morning the information that I received from the mediators is that the parties were still very far apart on a number of key issues," Hajdu said. "It was clear that there was an impasse, and impasse means that there obviously is a need for additional assistance, and I believe the (labour board) is the best place to help them." The minister has ordered the labour board to extend the term of the existing collective agreement until the arbitrator produces a new one. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
