‘Maybe it’s a reckoning’: the reasons behind Canada’s increasing labour action

Air Canada latest major company facing shutdown This year, we've seen labour action at many Canadian workplaces, and this follows a record-setting 2023 for strikes and lockouts.

Air Canada is the latest major company in the country on the verge of a 2024 work stoppage — but as Canadians will point, it’s definitely not the first.

Labour action has become more and more common over the last decade, and a slew of post-pandemic lockouts, strikes and endless threats have driven the point home.

This year, Canadians have seen labour action at dozens of major workplaces, including WestJet, CN and CPKC Rails and the Canada Border Services Agency.

That follows a 2023 where more than 6.5 million labour-person-hours were lost to work stoppages.

“We are seeing immense wealth being accumulated by organizations — and perhaps by shareholders and executives — that isn’t translating to the workers who are contributing in a really material way,” Mount Royal University Human Resources Professor Dr. Christian Cook said. “Maybe it’s a reckoning.”

Benefits, paid time off and work-from-home arrangements are more important to employees now than they were in prior generations, according to Calgary Labour and Employment Lawyer Stephen Torscher.

But money is still top of mind for workers: especially following a tough few years.

“We saw big changes, especially during the pandemic,” he told CTV News. “People just sort of reevaluated what it means to have that working relationship with their employer and what they’re willing to put up with.”

“Simply put, wages have not kept up with cost of living,” Cook added. “So there is a response from the new generations coming into the workforce just saying, ‘hey, how am I going to own a home, have a family or ever retire?’”

Strikes longer: Stats Can

Stats Canada data shows the average length of strikes and lockouts in Canada have also increased over the decades. They’re mainly focused in on the public sector, but private businesses are not immune.

2023’s labour unrest data shows the last time this many hours were missed was 1976. That year, the Canadian Labour Congress called a general strike.

Torscher is convinced things will continue to get worse until consumer purchasing power increases and employers show a further willingness to sacrifice profit.

“The terms and conditions of employment have not improved at the same speed as all these other factors,” he said. “So as long as those things are still in place, we will probably see more work stoppages and lockouts and strikes.”

Air Canada is set to cancel flights starting Sunday.