The B.C. government waded into the Air Canada strike prior to Tuesday’s tentative deal, siding with the flight attendants and using the chance to stick it to both an unpopular airline and the federal Liberal government’s even more unpopular handling of the issue.

Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside took to social media on Monday to scold Ottawa’s heavy-handed tactics and Air Canada’s absurd reliance on a system that only pays flight attendants when the airplane is in the air, and doesn’t compensate them at all for the work they do checking in and loading passengers.

“If a system depends on unpaid work, then that system needs to change,” Whiteside posted on social media.

“Flight attendants have the right to strike like all workers. And they deserve basic fairness and a fair contract negotiated at the bargaining table.”

Whiteside declined an interview request.

The move by the........

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