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Canadian North avoids strike Tentative agreement reached between airline, cargo handlers and passenger service agents
Daron Letts
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 11, 2013
NWT/NUNAVUT
Canadian North and the Unifor local 2002 bargaining team reached a tentative agreement a minute past midnight last night.
Canadian North and the Unifor local 2002 bargaining team reached a tentative agreement a minute past midnight last night, which has resulted in the removal of a Sept. 15 strike/lockout deadline. - NNSL file photo
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Cargo handlers and passenger service agents in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Norman Wells, Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Edmonton had voted 99 per cent in support of a strike mandate if an agreement was not achieved by midnight tonight.
The strike/lockout deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Sunday has been lifted pending ratification of the agreement among the 139 union members affected.
Unifor national representative and labour negotiator Bruce Snow is meeting with union representatives to organize a ratification schedule for the proposed terms of agreement. The meetings in each community are expected to be held within the next two weeks. A schedule will be established by as early as the end of the day, according to Darryl Bink, communications co-ordinator for Unifor local 2002.
The seventh round of collective bargaining negotiations began in Edmonton at 9 a.m. yesterday. The union has been without a collective agreement since Dec. 31, 2012.
According to an Aug. 26 communique issued by Unifor negotiators Aida Kirameddine of Edmonton and Theresa Amicarelli of Toronto, outstanding issues related to Northern Living Allowance, terms of vacation, and wages and premiums for certain positions.
Late last week, both sides expressed optimism that an agreement would be reached prior to tonight's deadline.
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