Air Canada flight attendants union going to labour board to prevent layoffs DAVID PADDON Canadian Press Friday, March 28, 2003 TORONTO (CP) - The union representing Air Canada flight attendants is going to the federal labour relations board in an effort to stop 600 involuntary layoffs of its members, part of a larger downsizing by the troubled airline. "We're sending them our case outlining all our reasons why we think Air Canada is in violation of the (labour) code," Pamela Sachs, of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, said in an interview Friday. In late 2001, the Canadian Labour Relations Board squelched attempts by the airline following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to unilaterally lay off unionized employees with strong no-layoff clauses in their contracts. However, it's possible the quasi-judicial agency won't hear the case this time, said Sachs, president of CUPE's Air Canada component, which represents 8,500 flight attendants at the airline. CUPE will file its case early next week. The airline rejected an attempt by CUPE earlier this week to have an independent arbitrator decide whether Air Canada can override parts of its contract with the union because of the war. In the meantime, Air Canada sent notices by courier to 400 flight attendants on Friday, with layoffs effective next Thursday. A further 200 notices are to be sent in May as the airline scales back its operations, Sachs said. The Canadian Auto Workers union, representing 9,600 Air Canada employees, has said the airline also wants to cut 600 of its members, who staff airport ticket counters and reservation call centres. There were reports some of Air Canada call centres may be closed - there are five in Canada and one in Florida - but CAW negotiator Gary Fane denied this week that's in the works. Air Canada won't disclose details of its plans. Air Canada said last week it needed to cut 3,600 jobs - about 20 per cent of its non-union positions and 10 per cent of its unionized jobs - because of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. That would be on top of any job losses or concessions required to cut at least $650 million in annual labour costs to compete with smaller rivals. Air Canada Jazz, a regional subsidiary that flies to many smaller communities not served by the main airline, told employees in Quebec City on Thursday that most maintenance jobs at Jean Lesage Airport would be cut by June. The number of technicians at that location will be reduced to eight from 60. However, 30 jobs will be transferred to Montreal, where there are currently 24 employees at another maintenance centre. The Chretien government has been under political pressure, including from some Liberal members of Parliament, to do something to help Canada's largest airline - a former Crown corporation that was privatized in the late 1980s. However, Calgary-based WestJet Airlines - the country's second-largest airline - and others have been quick to protest a government bailout of Air Canada. Air Canada has lost more than $1.7 billion since its last profitable year in 1999. Some analysts expect the carrier to seek bankruptcy protection under the federal Companies Creditors Arrangement Act as it tries to trim its operations and restructure more than $12 billion in long-term debts and leases. Transport Minister David Collenette, who said a week ago that the federal government was committed to the survival of Air Canada in one form or another, said Friday that Ottawa had no new initiative to announce. "I'm very concerned about the entire state of the aviation industry worldwide and of course there's a big dimension to it in this country," Collenette said outside the Commons. "As I've said before, Air Canada is certainly trying to deal with it as best it can. Right now, there's nothing new to add on the airline file. I'm telling you there's nothing new on Air Canada and the aviation file." Air Canada stock (TSX:AC) closed at $2.50, down 14 cents, with nearly 1.4 million shares traded Friday. It's 52-week low of $2.40 was set March 12, about a week before the invasion of Iraq began. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.thehummingbirdonline.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************