Derek Neary
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 03/99) - Unionized Fort Providence Housing Association employees voted unanimously in favour of ratifying a new contract last Wednesday.

The contract, which offers a small wage increase to all employees and maintains the benefits package, is retroactive to April 1, 1999, and will be in effect until March 31, 2000.

When asked to define the "small" pay raise, Georgina Rolt-Kaiser, Union of Northern Workers (UNW) Hay River region vice-president, would only offer a synonym -- "minimal.

"I'll be honest with you. Right now we're about to go into collective bargaining with the Government of the Northwest Territories and I don't want to jeopardize anything with GNWT -- even though the Housing Association is supposed to be at arm's length from the Government of the Northwest Territories," Rolt-Kaiser said on Monday.

As for the length of the contract, she admitted she was disappointed it was only a one-year deal.

"Then again, I have to go back to what the membership has wanted," she said. "I have called for new proposals, I have a package ready to go. Under the Canada Industrial Relations Board, notice to bargain can go out Dec. 1, and we will be prepared to go to the table at any time."

Allen Bouvier, manager of the Housing Association, had stated in late July that maintenance workers were entitled to a pay raise, but administrative employees were not. He also acknowledged Monday that there had been some consideration of altering the benefits package.

"I think we both worked at it," Bouvier said. "Everybody gave in a little."

The employees had voted in favour of strike action last month, but then decided to return to the bargaining table in Yellowknife where the terms of the current agreement were reached on Aug. 18 and then ratified a week later.