Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 10/99) - The Con mine strikers facing an eviction threat will be taking on their employer single-handedly, at least for the time being.

Eight strikers were served with notices to terminate tenancy by Miramar Con Mine Ltd. last month, which if successful, would mean the strikers would have to remove their trailer homes from the Miramar-owned Con Camp and Old Con or Rycon Camp.

Though at the time, both the strikers and their union, the United Steelworkers of America Local 802, said the company's move was strike-related, a subsequent union meeting determined the tenants would pursue the matter independently, with the union stepping in if an appeal is necessary.

Inger Thomassen, whose husband Soren is a striking mechanic, said the eight strikers and their families have retained counsel Austin Marshall and understand the union decision.

"We are the ones who are battling," she said, "I can only speak for us, though some people agree that it's not just an attack on the eight, but I guess we'll have to take care of this first stage."

Thomassen said an eviction would be disastrous.

"We have no where else to go," she said, "You can't take a 10-year-old trailer anywhere, and the banks won't help us."

Because company policy states that only employees can rent camp lots, Thomassen said selling the trailer where it stands is also an impossibility.

At dispute is the tenants' failure to pay rent. The workers hadn't paid the $100 a month rent plus utilities since the strike began May 14, arguing that their vacation pay the company is withholding more than covers the outstanding totals. Though the tenants began paying the arrears earlier this year, the company proceeded to file the applications with the NWT Rental Office.

Rental officer Colin Baile said last week that he has yet to hold preliminary talks with either party's lawyer and that a hearing date remains to be set. He said he must also determine whether the applications will be held individually or collectively. Baile said that section 78 of the Residential Tenancy Act does allow for a common hearing where similar issues are at play.

"It's certainly not uncommon for me to hear different tenants at the same hearing, and it makes sense, too," he said.

Thomassen said Monday that the tenants' lawyer will meet Baile and Miramar counsel March 18.