Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 22/02) - Thanks to voluntary layoffs and leaves of absence, only 16 First Air flight attendants have been dropped, instead of the initially expected 24.

But a representative of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) -- the union which services the airline's flight attendants -- is warning that more layoffs are just over the horizon.

"It's not done," said Kevin Beaith, component president of the airline division of CUPE, Locals 4040 and 4021.

Earlier this year, First Air announced it would terminate 24 flight attendant positions and relocate its jet operations to Edmonton. The company said the moves were required to cut costs after falling tourist numbers forced the airline to cancel its Vancouver to Yellowknife direct flight.

Since that announcement, the number of people who need to be laid off has fallen thanks to what First Air marketing and sales vice-president Jim Ballingal called "quite a program" within the company. A number of employees have agreed to one of two types of leaves: leaves of absence or leaves to avoid layoffs. Others have reshuffled schedules, taking less hours to avoid quitting their job.

"When they do that, the bottom numbers look better for them," said Beaith.

Of the flight attendants formerly stationed in Yellowknife, seven moved to Edmonton.

Among those still working for the airline, Beaith said moral has "really hit an all-time low. People are just so fed up and frustrated."

And, he warned, the spate of layoffs might not be over yet. Beaith said some of those on leaves of absence may find they have no job to which they can return -- meaning their layoff announcement will happen later in time.

"It's going to be more," he said.

Ballingal would not comment on the possibility of more layoffs down the road.

"Obviously, the objective is to try to retain them," he said. "But with the loss of the Vancouver-Yellowknife earlier this year and with the seasonal wind-down of our seven weekly charter flights that we operate from eastern Canada to the Caribbean -- it's a seasonal slow-down of business more than anything."

Union officials lobbied government to urge First Air into changing its mind. Those attempts were unsuccessful.