TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2013 /CNW/ - The employees who fuel Porter aircraft at the Toronto Island airport may be on strike as early as next week.

The 22 employees who work for Porter Fixed Based Operations (Porter FBO) have been unionized since August 2012 and have tried for nearly five months to negotiate a contract.

They will be in a legal strike position at 12.01 a.m. on January 10.

Though Porter FBO employees earn considerably less than the industry average, the employer has refused to negotiate a reasonable wage increase.

Porter FBO staff in Toronto are represented by the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), Local 343.

The parties will meet on January 9 to try and finalize a first Collective Agreement - and to head off a strike that would severely disrupt operations at the Island airport.

"The Union has been very reasonable in its requests," said COPE Staff Representative Mary Stalteri. "We sincerely hope to be able to prevent a strike and unnecessary inconvenience to the travelling public."

SOURCE COPE Ontario