Air Transat FAs ask for conciliator

[Kip Powick]

MONTREAL—The union representing some 1,400 Air Transat flight attendants has asked for the appointment of a federal conciliator to assist in ongoing labour negotiations.

The airline, which is a subsidiary of Transat AT, is seeking major concessions, said the Air Transat Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

The two sides have held 24 bargaining sessions since September.

Under the conciliation process, any job action such as a strike or lockout must first be subject to a cooling off period that includes 60 days of conciliation and 21 days of mediation.

That period will begin in about two weeks.

Union president Nathalie Stringer said it's unclear why flight attendants "should tighten their belts" when Transat had a great year in 2010 and earned $73.3 million in profits over the last two quarters.

She said the employer is seeking to increase the number of hours per duty each day and lower wages for new recruits.

Flight attendants have been without a contract since Oct. 31.

They are divided into three local unions based in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

In total, CUPE represents nearly 9,500 members in airlines, including Air Canada, Calm Air, Canadian North, CanJet Airlines, Cathay Pacific and First Air.

CUPE is the largest union in Canada with 600,000 members working in health care, education, municipalities, libraries, universities, social services, public services, transport, emergency services and communications.

"Union president Nathalie Stringer said it's unclear why flight attendants "should tighten their belts" when Transat had a great year in 2010 and earned $73.3 million in profits over the last two quarters."

You go girl...that's what the company is there for, make money for the employees...........who cares about the investors....