Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 12/00) - First Air and the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union representing 300 workers resumed negotiations in Ottawa Thursday.

With the help of conciliators, CAW local 2213 is negotiating with First Air for changes to the company's pay scale.

"The conciliation process has started," said Jim Ballingall, vice-president of marketing and sales for First Air. "They were back at the table Thursday and Friday (last) week and everything's going fine."

A meeting was held at the end of March with CAW national representative Serge Portelance and the federal ministry of labour to find a conciliator.

Prior to launching the conciliation process, Troy Broman, chairman of the local union, said, "in my opinion ... employees will vote 95 to 100 per cent (in favour of a strike)."

The union is fighting for an agreement that would stipulate starting wages at $9.52 per hour with raises that would increase pay to a maximum of $15 over five years.

First Air has offered a pay scale restructure that would see starting wages increased 22 cents to $9 per hour up to a maximum of $11.50 over seven years.

Broman, who is currently a cargo supervisor based in Yellowknife, told Yellowknifer his current wage is $12.36 per hour.

First Air, after the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Airlines, is the second largest carrier in Canada, which largely services the North. It has about 215 flights per day that carry between 4,000 and 7,000 pounds of freight, as well as passengers, to communities such as Broughton Island, Cambridge Bay and Resolute Bay. A strike would disturb what Broman has called, "the lifeline to the North."

Although Portelance said the company has been looking into replacement workers and sub-contractors in the event of a strike, the company denies a plan is in place to take those kinds of measures.

"At this point we are not feeling a need for a contingency plan," said director of communications Tracy Beaman before talks resumed.

Negotiations for a new contract began in September but broke down March 13.