Strike by air traffic controllers looms, threatens airport operations OTTAWA (AP) =97 Air traffic controllers across Canada could begin a strike= as=20 early as Friday. A last-ditch attempt to resolve the dispute between the=20 Air Traffic Control Association and Nav Canada, their employer, is=20 scheduled for Thursday. But neither side is sounding optimistic. "If=20 there's no conclusion by Friday ... we'll take strike action when and how=20 we see fit," Rob Thurgur, president of the air traffic association, a=20 division of the Canadian Auto Workers, said Wednesday. The dispute, which=20 focuses on wages, coincides with a time of turmoil for the aviation=20 industry. Many in the airline industry have pressured Ottawa to broadly cut= =20 fees, including navigation charges. However, the 2,300 air traffic=20 controllers have been without a contract since March 31, 2001 =97 well= before=20 the current industry turmoil. They do not have the legal right to walk off= =20 the job, a matter that is being reviewed by the Canada Industrial Relations= =20 Board. For now, the union cannot do much =97 at least legally =97 beyond=20 halting on-the-job training for air traffic controller-trainees. The private company has owned and operated the country's air navigation=20 services under regulation by Transport Canada since 1996. *************************************************** 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/ Mas Site: www.tntisland.com/tntrecords/mas2003/ Site of the Week: http://www.natalielaughlin.com/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************