Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 14/00) - "I'd rather stay here."

So says Lauren, daughter of Bob and Mary Kosta, who plan to move to Winnipeg sometime after the current school year ends. Bob Kosta is one of the hundreds of Giant miners laid off last fall who has not received any severance pay.

"I've been here all my life in this same house," 13-year-old Lauren says. "I've never had to move schools or move houses before, so it's kind of scary."

Lauren is in Grade 8 at Mildred Hall school. Her stepsister, Marita, is the same age and grade (although she attends Weledeh school). Marita says after being told several times the family would probably be moving, she's become used to the idea.

"The first two times I got really emotional and I didn't want to move. Now it's just like OK, I'm used to that," Marita said.

"I've lived here all my life. I never had to make new friends. I've only changed schools once and I already had friends in that school, so moving to a huge city, it'll be really different."

Earlier this year Mary Kosta went on a hunger strike in support of Giant miners and, in particular, to protest a 25 per cent cut to hourly pension plan benefits, which kicked in April 1. Marita and Lauren say they backed their mother on her fast.

"We started watching the news every night," Marita said.

"We knew about it before, but not the full impact of it all. Then when she went on the hunger strike, we realized how serious it was."

Lauren says, "I was proud of her and glad she was doing that."