Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Sep 14/01) - A proposed two per cent wage increase is an insult, states Janice Peddle.

Peddle, an employee at DIAND, joined eight other federal employees on the picket line last Friday. She explained there's 20 federal employees in Inuvik, but that five are designated as essential employees and some are on vacation, so only about 11 could be on the picket line.

Last Friday's action, echoed by other communities within the NWT and Nunavut, followed three "workless" Wednesdays, as the Public Service Alliance of Canada attempts to reach a new collective agreement with the federal government. The old agreement expired in June 2000.

Peddle said every strike day, at least 90 per cent of the people here able to picket have done so, and that they've gotten good support from people.

"Everybody is totally in support," Peddle said, noting that many stopped by on Friday for free hot dogs.

"They definitely voiced their support to us. Nobody has told us to go back to work," she said.

"The Treasury Board made one offer, and it was their final offer, and they've pretty much walked away from it," Peddle said.

"So right now talks have broken down, unfortunately. I mean, nobody really wants to be out here. But if we don't fight for ourselves, who's going to fight for us?"

The PSAC is seeking a wage increase over a three-year contract in the range of 15 per cent. Peddle said Ottawa is offering a two per cent increase in each of three years of a new agreement, retroactive to June 2000.

Peddle said the different employee groups within the PSAC have different issues, but that wages are a common concern, as is leave of absence. She pointed out that this year that Members of Parliament voted themselves a pay raise of 20.6 per cent, with the prime minister getting a 40 per cent increase.

Hard to live on

Peddle used the CR4 clerical position as an example. Its base salary is $32,000, which she said is hard to survive on, especially in the NWT.

"It's hard to survive on that. We have a lot of single parents in the CR4 position across the North, and to live off that much money and support your family and put a roof over your head -- it's hard to do. Luckily I'm not in that position."

She said the high rents in Inuvik make things worse.

"I live in federal housing, so mine is regulated somewhat. But ours goes up yearly. Like everybody else, our rent goes up yearly," Peddle said.

"Fortunately it's not so high as the general public, but anybody who has been a local hire, they are now not getting housing with the federal government, so they are looking at paying $1,400 plus a month for rent."

More strike action was planned for this past Tuesday, but the PSAC suspended picketing activities for this week in the wake of Tuesday's terrorism attacks in the United States.

Reached at her home Tuesday, Peddle said members were striking that day but had decided to remain in their homes. She said the strike would likely have been called off entirely if the terrorism attacks had happened earlier.