CAW Reaches Tentative Agreement at Jazz Air

TORONTO - CAW Local 2002 members who work at Jazz Air Inc. in customer service and aircraft services reached a tentative agreement with their employer yesterday.

After a narrow rejection of an agreement reached on September 27, the two sides headed back to the bargaining table on October 26 and 27. Details of the amended settlement will be released at membership ratification meetings that are scheduled to start Oct 30th. The meetings will be completed in approximately two weeks.

The bargaining committee is unanimously recommending acceptance of the agreement. CAW Local 2002 Chairperson Shirley Anderson echoed the frustration of the bargaining committee over the reluctance on the part of the employer to amend the original settlement. Anderson said the committee had to stand firm to get the employer to move.

"We were very clear with the employer that unless there were changes to the agreement no new ratification meetings would be held and the parties were heading into a labour dispute and possible interruption of work," Anderson said. CAW Local 2002 represents approximately 1000 workers at Jazz Air.