Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Oct 14/05) - Fort Simpson residents were without their river shuttle as six ferry crew workers went on strike Wednesday.

There was speculation that ferry contractor Rowe's Construction would hire replacement workers to keep the service in operation.

"(There's) nothing I can say. I have no comment," said Owen Rowe, who runs Rowe's Construction in Fort Simpson. "It's all got to do with legal stuff."

Jean Francois Des Lauriers, regional vice-president for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said he had heard the rumour about replacement workers. "We're asking people to respect our picket lines," Des Lauriers said from the ferry landing where he joined the striking workers. A large R.V., deck chairs and a garbage can full of wood for a fire were on site for the picketers.

He said the union will publicize the names of any "scabs," making it difficult for them to find work anywhere in Canada.

"It's going to make their lives awfully miserable as workers," Des Lauriers warned.

He ruled out any violent protest, however.

"We don't believe in it. We don't condone it," he said.

Regardless, the RCMP arrived shortly before noon to observe the proceedings.

Des Lauriers and Todd Parsons, president of the Union of Northern Workers, called upon the territorial government to terminate all private ferry contracts in the NWT.

"They (the ferry workers) should be public servants under the Public Servants Act," said Parsons. "If that was the case, we wouldn't be facing these disputes with the contractors."

The six unionized Fort Simpson ferry crew members are aiming for their first collective agreement, which would include a substantial pay raise.

Bob Kelly, manager of public affairs for the Department of Transportation, refused to say whether the government will find a way to keep the ferry operational. "The contractor, of course, is responsible for the service," he said. "We'll have to wait and see."

Anticipation of a ferry shut down created a sense of urgency in Fort Simpson. The NWT Power Corporation and Midnight Petroleum each arranged for several additional tanker trucks to top up their fuel supplies over the weekend. Mike Ocko, the Power Corporation's manager of operations for the Deh Cho, and Leah Miltenberger, co-owner of Midnight Petroleum, said they are now confident they won't run low. That still doesn't help residents like Tom Wilson who rely on propane deliveries from Hay River. "I know I don't have enough propane in my tank," he said.

Wilson is upset with the Canada Industrial Relations Board's ruling that the ferry and its employees are not an essential service.

"Just because we're a town of 1,200 people it sounds like they (the board) just don't give a darn," Wilson said, adding that the Vancouver-based board members aren't the ones who would have to pay additional air shuttle costs for food.

Kirby Groat, owner of Deh Cho Hardware and a Chamber of Commerce member, said many of his customers' orders cannot be transported by helicopter. Therefore, the prospect of a ferry strike was "creating all kinds of problems" for his enterprise.

"We don't have time to get it (the freight) all in. It definitely has a large effect on us," Groat said. "All the businesses in town are going to be feeling it."