by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (June 04/97) - Eighty-five NWT Air employees have voted in a favor of joining the Canadian Autoworkers Union.

As a result, the union will become their certified bargaining agent. The ballots were counted May 22.

Ramp, cargo, maintenance and reservations workers voted 76.4 per cent in favor of joining the CAW, says Maureen Kirincic, national director of organizing for CAW in Toronto.

"We look forward to dealing with them as we do with our other legal legislated bodies," says Tracy St. Denis, manager of sales development and corporate communications for NWT Air.

The airline's employees will have their own local and they are in the process of finalizing the change.

The employees affected formerly belonged to an employees association.

Jim Evoy of the NWT Federation of Labor says he's happy with the way the vote went. All CAW locals are affiliated with the federation.

The new local gives the federation more diversity in the airline industry. The Yellowknife airport is now solid union -- except for some First Air employees, he says.

Other NWT airline employees, such as pilots and flight attendants, are represented by different unions and some office staff are non-union, says Tracy St. Denis.