Hay River Reserve (Sep 29/03) - Contract talks have broken down between the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre and the unions representing its workers.

Melvin Larocque, the centre's executive director, says it became clear Sept. 22 that the two sides were not going to reach an agreement.

The workers are jointly represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Union of Northern Workers.

No further talks are scheduled, and the workers will be in a legal strike position Oct. 3.

They are seeking to renew a contract signed three years ago.

However, Larocque says the contract was negotiated by a previous executive director without input from the centre's board.

"We work in a little treatment centre with less than 20 employees, but the contract would be the envy of any worker in the North," he says. "We had to pay for the gas for the workers to come to work, for their utilities, for their plane tickets down south. It really compromised the care we could provide to the community."

A union news release states that when negotiations began in April, the employer wanted to throw out the previous contract and negotiate rollbacks.

"Our union is not willing to give up the benefits that the members previously negotiated and are currently receiving. The union has stated that it will not enter into concession bargaining with this or any other employer."

The union countered with an offer to renew the contract and a "modest" wage increase over three years.

The two sides met with a conciliator in late August, but no progress was made.

Nats'ejee K'eh is the only drug and alcohol treatment facility in the NWT.