Air traffic in and out of Prince Rupert could come to a halt as workers at YPR say they are prepared to strike after negotiations with the employer broke down earlier this month, with the employer saying their offer in March was their final offer.
"We are very close to a deal. With the help of a Conciliation Officer almost all the outstanding items, including wages, have been settled," said Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Regional Executive Vice President Kay Sinclair.
"But the Airport Authority insists that our members agree to work longer hours without being paid. Management downsized the workforce by almost 50 per cent over the last two years and now wants to increase the workday for the remaining employees by half an hour, without paying them for the time."
Part of the issue, says the union, stems from the unique location of Prince Rupert’s airport.
“Our members are stuck on Digby Island for their whole eight hour day. Management knows they can't leave the island to take a proper break and thinks they can take advantage of that,” explains Stephen Dunsmore, Regional Vice-President of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE).
"Unpaid work won't fly at YPR. The Airport Authority should drop their unreasonable demand and return to the table. A labour disruption at Prince Rupert airport will have serious economic consequences for the city."
But a statement from the Prince Rupert Airport Authority indicates that there may not be much more wiggle room in the negotiations. According to a statement released on April 13, the Prince Rupert Airport Authority presented their final offer to the union in March 2011, an offer they consider fair, reasonable and one that meets all of the union's demands except for the one related to hours of work.
"We are striving for normalcy in our workplace. Our offer in terms of wages, benefits and hours compares favourably with the majority of similar sized airports in British Columbia," said Prince Rupert Airport Authority president Maureen Macarenko.
Members of both unions, which includes runway and terminal maintenance workers, fuellers and administrative staff, voted in favour of strike action in March and have been without a contract since November of 2009.