Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 29/99) - The union attempting to organize Ekati mine workers has filed an unfair labour practices complaint against BHP Diamonds, United Steelworkers of America organizer Gilles Deslauriers revealed.

The complaint was filed with the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, formerly the Canada Labour Relations Board, in Vancouver on Nov. 22.

The union alleges BHP security workers questioned an Ekati worker about his discussing of union activities while he was on the job.

"I thought BHP security staff was for diamond protection, not for conducting investigation into labour matters," Deslauriers said.

"This is not Cuba or Mexico."

If the company wanted to talk to the worker about alleged union activities, they should have had their personnel staff approach him, not security, he said.

Deslauriers adds the worker has denied talking about union business while on the job.

"The inside Steelworkers supporter is accused of discussing union (matters) on the job," Deslauriers said.

"When security gets involved in a labour matter, it can be very intimidating."

The Steelworkers are asking the Labour Relations Board for a hearing into the matter and they also want whoever claims the worker was talking union on the job to come forward.

The Steelworkers also want the mention of the matter in the worker's file to be removed. Another union demand is that any decision by the labour board be distributed to all BHP employees.

NWT Labour Federation president Wayne Campbell likened the questioning of a worker behind locked doors to "intimidation and scare tactics that are associated with labour relations in the 1930s not (those of) a modern corporation."

Campbell said worker decisions on unionization should occur without interference.

Earlier this year, the Steelworkers launched an aggressive campaign to unionize Ekati, 51 per cent owned by BHP Diamonds.

As part of the drive, Steelworkers passed out union cards to Ekati workers.

The union needs 50 per cent plus one workers to support the union before certification.

If the employees do decide to unionize, that triggers contract bargaining.

BHP spokesperson Graham Nicholls said midday Thursday he could not readily comment on the matter because the complaint was only filed three days earlier.

The Nov. 22 complaint is the third filing with the Labour Relations Board made against BHP by the United Steelworkers of America.

The other filings were made Nov. 11 and July 8.

In the Nov. 11 filing, the union made an application for access to Ekati.

In the other filing, the Steelworkers allege an individual was discriminated against based on his union position.