Air North flight attendants sent home for wearing T-shirts

Flight attendants at Yukon's Air North were sent home by their employer Tuesdaymorning after they showed up for work wearing T-shirts instead of their uniforms.

Yukon Employees Union presidentSteve Geick says he considers the move a lockout.

"Our people were in T-shirts, yes, but they were clearly identified as flight attendants," he said.

Air North president, Joe Sparling, says it's not a lockout. He says employees were sent home simply because they were out of uniform.

"They did show up to work, but it was their intention to not provide full service and their intention to not wear uniforms and that's not acceptable," saidSparling.

He says the flight attendants wore T-shirts that had his phone number on them. The flight attendants' website also includes Sparling's email address.

Geick says managers and non-union staff shared duties on the morning flights between Whitehorse andVancouver. There's no word yet on how the situation will affect the airline's evening flights between the two cities.

On Monday, the union representing the flight attendants announced itwould be taking job action after nearly a year of contract negotiations, withflight attendants withholding in-flight serviceon selected flights. The next bargaining session is scheduled for next week.