The union representing Air Canada flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday morning (Aug. 13), and the airline responded by signalling its intention to lock workers out starting on Saturday.

To avoid an abrupt service disruption, Air Canada will begin a phased wind-down of operations over the next three days, the company said in a news release. Flight cancellations will start on Thursday, with a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge on Saturday. Air Canada Express flights are unaffected.

The airline is seeking government-directed arbitration to resolve the situation, citing recent interventions by the federal government in rail, port and airline labour disputes as precedent for the government stepping in again.

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