Release #10.FAB
October 20, 2010

First Air Pilots to Open Negotiations on New Contract

OTTAWA, ONT. — Flight crewmembers represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, (ALPA) have served notice to bargain with First Air, the opening step in beginning negotiations on a new collective agreement for the airline’s pilots and flight engineers.

ALPA and First Air management expect to open contract talks soon in Ottawa. First Air’s current contract with its cockpit crewmembers has an expiration date of December 31, 2010.

“Since joining ALPA two years ago, we have eagerly awaited the opportunity to use our union’s resources and expertise to win gains for our members,” said Capt. James Biggs, chairman of ALPA’s First Air Master Executive Council. “We are confident we can work collaboratively with our management to craft an agreement that raises First Air crewmembers’ quality of life and helps our airline thrive.”

First Air is the largest airline exclusively serving northern Canada. Wholly owned by the Nunavik Inuit community through the Makivik Corporation, the carrier provides scheduled and charter service to communities in Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, and Quebec. Approximately 150 First Air cockpit crewmember pilots fly cargo and passengers to 30 destinations, most of them in the Arctic. The former First Air Pilots Association merged with ALPA in June 2008.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilots union representing nearly 53,000 pilots at 38 airlines in the United States and Canada.

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Contact: Capt. James Biggs or Capt. Peter Black, 613-569-5668 or firstairmail@alpa.org