Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 10/99) - At least 30 former Giant workers have left town for greener pastures, said Canadian Autoworkers Local 2304 plant chair, Steve Petersen.

Although many more workers are hanging in there, Petersen said keeping them here depends a lot on how the Department of Education, Culture and Employment performs its duties.

"What's surprising is that more haven't left," Petersen said.

"What we hope is that ECE will keep up with their end of the bargain. Ex-Giant employees have to be getting their employment insurance cheques on time and it must be possible for them to access retraining and upgrading programs in a timely fashion."

For the around 250 workers who have been off the job since Oct. 5, Petersen said the last month has been anything but enlightening.

"They are still as uncertain about their future as they were a month ago," Petersen said.

He adds that the between 40 and 50 workers who are still on the mine site doing cleanup and shut-down operations will be out of work Nov. 12, at which time there will be a 30-day "cooling off" period.

In the meantime, the CAW is still waiting for Justice James Farley to rule on topping up the workers' pension fund, and on the 12-week shutdown notice that workers should have received.

The NWT Labour Standards Act requires the Government of the Northwest Territories receive 12-weeks notice if a massive layoff is to occur.

If Farley rules in the CAW's favour, workers would get 12-weeks severance pay in lieu of the notice the GNWT and the union did not receive.

The union says they were also entitled to six months notice of shutdown. They argue the workers are entitled to wages in lieu of not getting that notice. If they win the case, it could represent about 11 months of pay for the unionized members who have worked more than eight years seniority.

"With Christmas coming up, we'd like to see that decision take place as soon as possible so our members could have some peace of mind," Petersen said.

"Legally and morally, we think our case is justified. We think the deliberation will bode well for us but it's a dogs breakfast right now. We just don't know."

While Petersen waits on the Farley decision he believes it may be possible the company currently negotiating a deal for Giant, Miramar Mining Corp., will start re-hiring as many as 50 former Giant workers back in December.