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All signs point to Harper government intervening in Air Canada labour dispute

The Harper government says a potential work stoppage at Air Canada next week would not be in the best interests of the Canadian public.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents about 8,600 workers at Air Canada, served notice late Tuesday that it intends to begin a strike on March 12 unless a new contract is signed by then.

If history is any indication, however, you can expect the Tories will intervene and cite the "fragile economic recovery" as their reason for doing so.

At least that was their "modus operandi" last summer.

In June, you'll recall, the government introduced back-to-work legislation when Air Canada customer service and sales staff walked-out. The two sides reached a deal before Ottawa could pass the measure into law.

That same month, the House of Commons passed a bill ordering 48,000 Canada Post employees back to work.

And, in October, the government threatened back-to-work legislation for Air Canada's flight attendants before both parties agreed to go to binding arbitration.

In his column Wednesday, Bryan Milner, the Globe and Mail's senior economic writer, argues that the repeated intervention in the labour affairs of Air Canada is categorically unfair.

"It's no secret that the Conservative government is not sympathetic to unions, but it has yet to provide a coherent explanation for trampling on their legal rights at Air Canada, beyond concerns that travellers will face disruptions during the busy March break school holiday," he wrote.

"In the old days, when Air Canada was a Crown corporation and dominated the national market, it was reasonable to treat it as something like an essential public utility... [But now] several competitors would be only to happy to take advantage their rival's labour woes."

Is it fair that Ottawa intervene in the labour dispute?

Probably not.

Will they?

All signs point to yes.