Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 27/99) - The union representing the city's public school teachers says it will be filing two grievances against YK Education District No. 1 over the methods the board is using to recover funds from its members.

Northwest Territories Teachers Association (NWTTA) president Pat Thomas announced the grievances Tuesday. She says the board sidestepped the association by directly informing NWTTA members of cash recoveries that could go as high as $6,000.

Members first heard of the recoveries -- for vacation travel assistance and payments made for Heritage Day and in other areas -- when they opened their paycheques Jan. 15 and found a letter from the board. The funds had been paid in the absence of a collective agreement which has now been ratified.

"The NWTTA is the sole bargaining agent and the board is in contravention of the collective agreement when it bypasses the association and goes directly to the membership," a NWTTA statement released Tuesday said.

The other grievance alleges the board violated the agreement because the NWTTA says nothing in the deal can be retroactive unless specifically stated.

On Tuesday, board superintendent Ken Woodley said he disagreed with the NWTTA's position.

"The board often directly communicates with (NWTTA) members," he said. "We'll have to hear them (the NWTTA) out and move from there.... What we have here is a different interpretation of what the agreement meant."

According to Woodley, the agreement between the two sides reduces some benefits. And, he said, it is retroactive to Sept. 1, 1997.

Funds in some areas were advanced, Woodley said, before the agreement was ratified.

Thomas said the NWTTA is still considering legal action over the matter.