Air North flight attendants move to unionize
Yukon airline's president says a wage freeze was lifted Jan. 1
Flight attendants at Air North want to unionize, and have asked the Yukon Employees Union to represent them.
About 35 in-flight employees are involved in the application to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board.
"It was very interesting talking to these folks," said Steve Gieck, president of the union. "They love working for Air North. They love their jobs and they are proud of what they do."
Geick said it could take a month or two before the Industrial Relations Board rules on the application.
There are about 200 employees at Air North.
Geick said he's not sure what motivated the desire to unionize but said the flight attendants chose the Yukon union because of its local support. The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents flight attendants with Air Canada but it doesn't have a Yukon office. Westjet flight attendants are not unionized.
Air North president Joe Sparling said he's surprised by the move.
Sparling said it comes on the heels of an extra competitive year, battling Air Canada and Westjet.
"We did have a wage freeze on to deal with what has been and still is a very difficult economic environment but the wage freeze has been lifted Jan. 1 and we were even able to have a small profit distribution for our employees and those outcomes I can describe as nothing short of remarkable in this environment," he said.
"If you look at Yellowknife, where they went through the same thing, both Northern carriers had to cut back their schedules and lay off employees. We didn't have to do any of that. I take a lot of pride in that."
Sparling maintains wages and benefits at Air North are comparable to any other major airline.