SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Ten workers on strike from the Union of Northern Workers (UNW) were locked out of their offices Monday morning after negotiations on a new job contract failed last week.

Striking Union of Northern Workers office staffers Jeff Kallichuk, left, and Jasmine Jawrenko outside the UNW office on Monday morning. The workers served the UNW a strike notice on Friday, but upon discovering the office was locked Monday morning, they dubbed their protest a lockout. - Guy Quenneville/NNSL photo

"The UNW took away our keys and access to the workplace on Friday. We showed up on Monday and there was no one and the doors were locked," said Ken Howie, president of the workers' bargaining unit, Local 8646 of the Yellowknife United Steelworkers.

The group - eight of whom were picketing outside the UNW building on Monday - gave the UNW their strike notice on Friday.

"We don't have the ability to force anyone to be on a picket line; that is their choice," said Howie.

Previous to the strike the main sticking point during negotiations, according to both parties, was the workers' desire for a job classification system.

But accounts diverge from there.

According to Howie, the workers want their salaries determined by a job classification system in order to prevent the UNW from overburdening its administrative workforce, which has been faced with a 30 per cent increase in union membership over the last two years and an increased workload.

Under a classification system, "If they would add to (our workload), there would be a penalty for it, the penalty meaning that our job classification ... would increase," said Howie.

Todd Parsons, president of UNW, said he believes that for the workers the issue comes down to pay, not job classification.

"It's clear to me they want extra pay but the group does not want to negotiate pay because they believe some of their work groups, or positions, want more money. They're struggling amongst themselves (about) who should get more pay," said Parsons.

He said the UNW is opposed to placing the group of 10 under a classification system for two reasons: the cost, as well as the small size of the group.

"We suggested that if (they) weren't happy with (their) pay, we'd say, 'The next time you negotiate ... we'll negotiate the new rate with you and we'll make it retroactive to the date you had a complaint,'" said Parsons. "That's when they walked away from the table."

Howie said the wages of each individual group member have been assessed under the job classification system used for unionized employees of the Public Services Alliance of Canada, and the results cast doubts on Parsons' claims about the cost.

"Our jobs have been rated; they've been given point values," said Howie. "Our wages should fit right into those point values, so there should be no increase to the employer."

Before the strike, the parties entered a 21 day cool-off period that expired on November 28.

The workers have been without a collective agreement since March 31, 2009.

On November 30, the UNW gave the workers one week to come back to the table, or else the workers would be forced to work under the terms and conditions of the Employment Standards Act, said Parsons.

"We did not want to have to lock our employees out. It was a pressure tactic," he said.

On Friday, the workers went on strike.

Howie said the UNW and Parsons have not shown any willingness to consider a job classification system.

"(Parsons has) been saying that he's inviting us back to the table (and) he wants to get back to negotiations," said Howie. "But at the same time he's told us that if we bring a classification system to the table, that he'll walk away."

The one-week notice served by the UNW has not sat well with the workers.

"We're actually going to be talking to our legal department about filing an unfair labour practice against the employer," said Howie.

Despite the group's differences, Parsons remained optimistic on Monday.

"We could be at the table in a few days," he said.

Howie said he's also willing to return.

"If he were to sit down at the table with us and say, 'This is going to cost us a lot, but we're interested in looking at it; how do we mitigate that?' - we're open arms to doing with that," he said.