Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 04/02) - Almost 400 Northwestel employees will vote on a new contract offer made by the employer last week. Rejecting the offer could mean strike action by the phone company workers.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union (IBEW), which represents the employees, is recommending they reject the offer.

The company and the union spent two and a half days in conciliation talks in mid-February, but left with two continuing points of contention: wages and documentation for medical absences.

The IBEW asked for annual increases over three years of five per cent, six per cent and six per cent.

Northwestel offered three per cent, 2.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent.

On medical absences, Northwestel wants a contractual right to demand medical certification of illness for protracted sick leaves.

"We don't want that as part of the contract," said IBEW local 1574 representative Ernest Ness.

"Now it's up to the (union members) to look at it and see," he said.

Rejection of the offer will give the IBEW authorization to call a strike.

Ballots were mailed out last week to workers in northern B.C., the Yukon, the NWT and Nunavut.

The ballots will be counted April 11.

Employees' contracts expired Dec. 31, 2001. The union wants the pay increases to obtain wage parity with the south, both for technical and clerical workers.

Northwestel would not say anything on the matter.