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Canadian North avoids strike Tentative agreement reached between airline, cargo handlers and passenger service agents
Daron Letts
Northern News Services
Updated: Friday, September 13, 2013
NWT/NUNAVUT
Canadian North and the Unifor local 2002 bargaining team reached a tentative agreement at a minute past midnight on Wednesday, averting a possible lockout or strike.
Canadian North and the Unifor local 2002 bargaining team have reached a tentative agreement 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 yesterday.
The strike/lockout deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 15 was lifted pending ratification of the agreement among the 139 union members affected, which includes 11 cargo handlers and 26 passenger service agents in Yellowknife.
Unifor national representative and labour negotiator Bruce Snow began meeting with union representatives this week to organize a ratification schedule for the proposed terms of agreement. Meetings in each community are expected to be held within the next two weeks. A schedule will be established by as early as this week, 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. on Tuesday. 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 of the bargaining table expressed optimism that an agreement would be reached prior to the Sept. 12 deadline.
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