HALIFAX, NS, July 19 /CNW/ - Air Canada Jazz today stated that Arbitrator
Michel Picher has released his wage review award for approximately 1,660 Jazz
employees represented by the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union. These include
Maintenance and Engineering employees, Customer Sales and Service employees
and Crew Schedulers. The arbitration, dealing exclusively with adjustment to
the hourly wage rate, was conducted pursuant to a provision in collective
agreements reached between the Company and the majority of its unions in 2003.
    Aside from modest fixed adjustments to the scales applicable to employees
hired after July 31, 2003, Mr. Picher's award granted CAW-represented
employees a 1% wage increase effective July 2006, 1.75% effective July 2007
and 1.75% effective July 2008.
    Negotiations with Teamsters Canada, which represents approximately    
750 Jazz flight attendants, will begin in early August. The Canadian Air Line
Dispatchers Association (CALDA), which represents the airline's 55
dispatchers, has yet to schedule dates to commence negotiations. The
collective agreement negotiated in 2003 with the Air Line Pilots Association
(ALPA), representing Jazz's approximate 1,310 pilots, does not include a wage
review provision.