Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 22/02) - Shifting staff from Yellowknife to the south may make business sense, but it does not make sense for the North, says the union representing First Air workers.

"The reason for doing this move is so they don't have to pay a Northern wage," said Canadian Union of Public Employees president Steve Tomkins.

On Friday, Tomkins presented a petition to Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew's constituency office.

The petition calls on the government to pressure First Air to reverse its decision.

Tomkins said the 569 signatures on it were collected on one weekend.

"The flight attendants are the third group they've done this to," Tomkins said. "They've already moved crew scheduling and the dispatch department."

Tomkins said he tried, without success, to meet Blondin-Andrew to discuss the layoffs while she was in town.

Blondin-Andrew, who was in town, said she has met with union officials in Ottawa.

Scheduling and dispatch included 10 positions, now based in Ottawa instead of Yellowknife, Tomkins said.

First Air's shift of workers to the south has already drawn criticism from Yellowknife city council and MLAs. But after speaking with company president and CEO Bob Davis, some councillors said they acted rashly in passing a resolution opposing the shift of workers.

The shifting of staff to the south will not help the Carp, Ont.-based airline's claim that it is "The Airline of the North."

The company competes with Canadian North for Northern air travellers' business. Both airlines market themselves as the North's airline.

Carmen Loberg, the head of Canadian North, said his airline is not planning to follow First Air's lead.