Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 12/99) - The United Steelworkers of America is attempting to unionize workers at Canada's first diamond mine.

The union, which has about 800,000 members across North America, has distributed information, including union cards, to workers, Steelworkers' organizer Gilles Deslauriers said Thursday.

"We let them know (BHP Ekati employees) we'd like to work with them," Deslauriers said.

"If over 50 per cent of the union cards are signed, we file with the federal government for certification," he said.

Deslauriers believes when it comes to unionizing Ekati, it's only a matter of time.

If the union's recent successes in the North are any indication, he has reason to be optimistic.

The United Steelworkers of America recently unionized Breakwater Resources' Nanisivik mine in Nunavut. They also helped Con miners in Yellowknife.

On June 28, 1999, the Canada Labour Relations Board certified the United Steelworkers as the bargaining agent for all employees of Nanisivik mine excluding supervisors, persons above the rank of supervisors, office, clerical and technical employees and professional engineers. The union picked up about 160 new members at Nanisivik.

Bill Heath, Breakwater vice-president of administration, said Thursday he expects a letter soon from the United Steelworkers of America indicating the union's intent to start the bargaining process.

Asked why, after several years of operations as a non-union shop, Nanisivik miners were opting to unionize, Heath preferred not to comment.

Nanisivik, which opened in 1976, is a mature zinc lead mine. Breakwater acquired Nanisivik mine in 1996.

During the 11-month Con strike, the United Steelworkers of America contributed $1.5 million to Con miners, members of the union's Local 802. The money came from the Steelworkers' strike fund, which has about $295 million ready to help members. The current three-year collective agreement will take Local 802 into 2002.

United Steelworkers of America has about 800,000 members in North America. About 185,000 of the 800,000 are in Canada.

Of the estimated 185,000 Canadian members, about 45,000 are in Canada's mining industry.