Air Canada pilots urged to delay vote on restructuring deal Last Updated Mon, 23 Jun 2003 22:02:00 OTTAWA - The union representing Air Canada's pilots is urging its members=20 not to vote on a cost-cutting deal until after this Thursday. The Air=20 Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) wants to hold off until after the union=20 has a hearing with Paul Lordon, chair of the Canada Industrial Relations=20 Board, to try to resolve seniority issues between Air Canada pilots and=20 aviators who flew for the former Canadian Airlines. The pilots=20 associations sought a meeting with Lordon last week because they're upset=20 with an arbitrator's decision they say favours former Canadian Airlines=20 pilots. On Monday, the Air Canada pilots said the arbitrator's decision=20 puts the outcome of the cost-cutting vote =96 and the future of the airline= =96=20 in jeopardy. "The decision is so devastating for Air Canada pilots and=20 their families that it is inevitable that it will affect the vote on the=20 new agreement," Capt. Dave Coles, chair of the ACPA merger committee, said= =20 in a release. "We're asking Mr. Lordon to apply his principles to this=20 (arbitrator's) decision and overturn it quickly," Coles said. "Then our=20 members can vote without the threat of the decision hanging over=20 them." Air Canada's pilots were scheduled to vote from June 20 until June= =20 30 on the new agreement meant to help the airline cut more than $1 billion= =20 from its annual labour bill as it restructures under bankruptcy protection. Written by CBC News Online staff *************************************************** 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.carib-link.net/naparima/naps.html TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************