HAWKAIR HAS told a federal labour board its pilots and flight attendants can’t join a union which would then: act as its bargaining agent ‘because it is under bankruptcy protection: The company filed its position with the Cana; dian Industrial Relations Board last week after employees said they wanted to join the Canadian ' Autoworkers Union. ; . Hawkair general manager Tom Beshr says the filing is based on a section of the October 2005 - B.C. Supreme Court’order granting it protection’ under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The protection provided by that section says no “application or proceeding pursuant to the British - Columbia Labour Code or other legislation of like - or similar import, shall be proceeded with or com- menced against” Hawkair. Although the Canadian Industrial Relations. Board is a federal agency ‘because Hawkair is fed-. erally-regulated, it operates under a similar leg- islative framework to the provincial labour code, said Beshr. 4 “By virtue of that section, that’s our position,” he said of the company filing. ; * Beshr said there is plenty of precedent to back up Hawkair’s filing based on past decisions af- ‘fecting. other companies, including Air Canada, n Kids rescue dumped kitties . that were also under bankruptcy protection. The Canadian Autoworkers Union (CAW) says it has enough signatures from the 22 pilots and flight attendants to certify as a bargaining unit. And CAW organizer. John Bowman doesn’t » believe Hawkair’s argument to the Canadian In- dustrial Relations Board will work., “We think that is wishful thinking on the part of the employer,” Bowman said late last week. ' “Just because you are under CCAA it does not ‘" mean there is any blanket barring of employees - ‘from joining a union. CCAA acts to protect, a company from its creditors and we’re not a credi- tor,” said Bowman. - There’s no indication yet from the federal board on how and when it will make a certifica- . tion decision. It must first ensure that names sent ‘to them are indeed employees of the company in- volved and must consider other information, pre-: _sented by a union and employer. The CAW’s Bowman isn’t even convinced the labour board representatives that will make the decision to certify the employees or not will even need to hold a hearing. “ However, it turns out Hawkair's Beshr is de- ‘scribing the pilot and flight attendant certification move as.a wake-up call. “I believe this is is not about compensation,’ ” said _Hawkair rejects union bid Beshr in saying the company’ s pilots and flight attendants are well paid given industry wage stan- dards. “There is something else going on here and I have to get to the bottom of it.” :. Beshr, who was brought i in last year to help — straighten out the company’s finances, ‘says the: vast majority of Hawkair’s employees are happy. But he acknowledged that working fora com- pany under creditor protection can create uncer- tainty and doubt about employment. Hawkair i is treating the CAW certification drive © seriously enough that it will ask the supreme court tomorrow for another extension of its bankruptcy ‘protection. The company had expected to filea proposal on . how to deal with its one major remaining creditor | and a plan for payments to unsecured creditors. But it now has to put all of that on hold and focus on the CAW situation, said Beshr. “We now have this opportunity to get. together with the employees. Whether they unionize or not, we have to sort all of this out,” he said. That one major creditor is a Maritime com-- "pany « called IMP, which sold Hawkair. two of its .- three Dash 8-100 aircraft. IMP has so far rejected . Hawkair’s position that the planes are worth less © than the original sale price and that. monthly pay- ments should consequently be reduced. at © 4 The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - A3 | 'N ews In Brief in freezing By DUSTIN QUEZADA < ‘SARINA ~~ GERMUTH ‘confesses she’s not’ much _of a cat person but you wouldn’t believe the Kitimat’ woman based on her actions of two weekends ago.. Returning from a day : of skiing at Shames Moun- - tain Feb. 25 with her young - ‘daughter and son, Germuth pulled into a rest stop east of. the ‘mountain’s highway turnoff. “Tsawa little black thing coming out of the woods,” Germuth said. “I said, ‘That looks like a cat.’” So _. It.turned out to be a litter of six kittens. that were reluc-— tant to trust their saviours.” After trying for two hours ‘temperatures, Germuth and daughter Kas- sianna, 9, and son Kosh, 7, ‘were only ‘able to coax: two: ' “of the kittens into ‘their care. ... °. The trio stopped in Ter- ‘race to'eat and to buy some . food for the kittens. “I didn’t realize how long the cats were in [the bush] until’ we'*fed: them,” Germuth, adding the. fam- ished felines attacked ‘the bag of food. Germuth asked: employ- ees in two businesses to phone the Terrace Animal Shelter. They found out that when the shelter is closed; - callers are instructed to call. -the Terrace RCMP or Fire — Department... Germuth decided instead r to go home and call the Kiti- -mat Community Humane Society; which has a driver . * with-an emergency number °on 24. hours-a-day, seven _days- -a-week, The determined mother and children returned the next day on their way to the mountain to attempt a rescue * of the remaining three aban- “doned kittens. “We shook some treats * and they came right away,” said Germuth. Young Kosh was deter-° said : on “KOSH! WHITEHEAD, 7, ‘from Kitimat and sister Kassianna, 9, pose with Shamey, one- _of a batch of kittens rescued after they were dumped near the turnoff to Shames. . RYAN CALVERY PHOTO, THE NORTHERN SENTINEL. . Mountain. mined that he’d seen a kitten the previous evening that was unaccounted for so his -mother turned back and they coaxed the lone kitty in with — its siblings. “They ate and:ate and ate ~ The: family : ‘enjoyed : an- andthen they « drank and drank - other day of skiing before and: drank,” ' Coates’ ‘said. . turning the cats in to the hu- mane society later that after- WE SRL POR LESS every day!” — ‘Now open ‘Sundays until 9:00 per m. Starting March Sth. ‘Monday-Saturday | e 8: O0am-10: 00pm | Sunday 09: 00am-9: 00pm | 4427 HIGHWAY 16 EAST | DELTA NANCOUVER AIRPORT TERRACE from Vancouver International Airport, and we'll help you relax before you gel on your way. With our Bon Voyage Stopover package, which includes parking for three weeks and airport transportation, you will have taken care of all the . 7 details. So you can relax and start your vacation worry-free. , YOU PROBABLY WON’ T UNPACK, BUT AT LEAST We know how stressful planning a winter getaway, can’ be. Before you depart on . your vacation, stay at the Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel, located just minutes . Your room is ready i From ‘QQ’ # STOPOVER PACKAGE Includes: * Accommodation for single or + double occupancy in a Delta Room ‘© Complimentary parking valid for three weeks © Complimentary direct airport transportation I 800-268- 133 www. deltavancouverairport. ca “One right maximum n stay Must present international aiine chet 2. Condtons(rsticions -_ apply Subject o aalabilty Tues and erates are tot included, noon. Nancy Coates, a ‘worker at the Kitimat animal shel- ter, said last week the kittens were doing really well. “They’ ve mellowed out. Somebody’ s had them J - they’ re. not wild, ” "added Coates. Coates’ says they’ ve had to rescue cats abandoned between Kitimat and Ter- ‘race near Onion Lake quite “often: “~ “Tes not an everyday. oc- currence but it does happen,” Coates said. eae Liberals eye northwest THE PROVINCIAL Liberal northern caucus ‘could very well hold a session in the northwest this spring, says its chair. © John Rustad, the MLA for Prince George- Omineca, says the six-member caucus has received an invitation from the District of Kitimat. . “In general, what we'd like to do is meet with vari- , _ous stakeholder groups,’ "hesaid. > Those sessions aren’t normally open to the public, the MLA added, as a way of ensuring a free exchance _ of ideas and opinions. 7 “Obviously what we'd like to do is get down to vari- . US issues important to the stakeholders.” Rustad said. The Liberal northern caucus consists of three MLAs and three cabinet ministers and is intended as a way of " gathering northern issues together and Presenting them for action in Victoria. ” Having. the caucus visit the northwest is ‘regarded - as important as both of the area's ridings, Skeena and North Coast, were re- captured by the NDP in the’ 2005 : provincial election: " ' As itis, the caucus consisted of 10 members prior to the election. But the Liberal government . lost four northern ridings in all last year — the two northwest . ones sand the two in the Cariboo. "Strike threat made - provincial: government want a new. contract by this ‘weekend or they could go out on strike. - Union members have voted 80 per cent in favour of : a strike in pursuing a pay | hike of 10 per cent over three’ - years. They also want better protection from having jobs contracted out. The province has. so far offered six per cent over four years. But it is also dangling the potential for bonuses taken from a $1 billion account set.aside for all those ‘ who work for the province in‘one form or another. | That money must be spent by ‘the end of March or ‘it will go toward paying down the provincial debt. The union contract runs out at the same time. The BCGEU represents 25,000 workers i in the B. c. : civil service. : Trades skills tested _ LOCAL STUDENTS will be testing their , skills: in - MEMBERS OF the B.C. Government and, Service. Employees’ Union (BCGEU) who - -work for © the. various projects next week as part of a Skills ‘Canada 2 7 competition at Northwest Community College. ‘It’s -an annual. event, timed to take place. during : spring break, in which students are judged c on ‘carpentry, : _ welding and other projects. The competition takes place on March 17 at the col- -lege’s trades building.:: That’s also the day the college’ s trades department hosts its second annual trades fair. “Local industry representatives will be on-site and available to discuss job opportunities within their fields ~and trades in. general,” says Ken Downs of the college's Si trades’ department. - - Tours of the trades shops will be ‘offered 3 at’ Various: times during the day of March 17. “under your.counter. The height can be raised with optional sels eis mains GE Front Load Washer * King Size 3.7 cu.ft capacity * 1000W Internal Water Heater °5 wash/rinse temperatures, including Sanitization | _° Energy Star ceri’ | GE Front Load Dryer. * King Size 7.0 cu.ft capacity! «'5 custom heat settings, Sensor Drying. ° * Antibacterial cycle ; esinations at work — TOTEM FURNITURE eel 4501 Lakelse Avenue Terrace © 638-1158 © 1-800-813-1158 *The “We Pay the GST" offer is valid on the purchase of selected GE Laundry models only. 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