Airport information picket
Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Apr 06/01) - BHP employees arriving in Yellowknife Wednesday morning had a surprise welcoming committee waiting for them.
Activists from the Public Service Alliance of Canada staked out the airport and the Braden-Burry Expediting facility to hand out leaflets to workers going to and from Ekati Mine.
Most workers accepted the leaflets but didn't stay around to talk.
"No comment. I got in enough trouble last time I said anything," said one man as he brushed past reporters.
BHP employees will be voting on whether to be represented by an employee's association formed in the wake of a failed organizing drive by the United Steelworkers of America.
The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) recognized the BHP Employee's Association as a trade union in a decision handed down March 21. However, in the same decision, the Board expressed concern "with the very unusual method used by the Association," to collect dues from employees.
Workers signed up for the association by authorizing a deduction from their paycheques to pay dues. This form was forwarded to BHP's payroll department, which collected dues for the association.
Such a method of collecting dues, the CIRB said in its written decision, "totally disregards the confidentiality of the membership evidence."
Debbie McLaughlin, regional representative for PSAC, said her union would never do such a thing.
"PSAC doesn't collect dues until after the first contract is signed, and in most cases employers won't even agree to do anything with a union until after the first contract."
Frank Murphy, who works at the Ekati site, said that he and other employees were willing to give the fledgling employees' association the benefit of the doubt, for the time being.
"I think we should have a try and see what happens," said Murphy. When asked how long he would be willing to wait, Murphy said "we should give them at least a year."
McLaughlin said her union has "grave concerns" with the employees' association.
"Just the way the whole thing's been handled gives us cause for concern," she said.
Ken Chiang, a spokesperson for the CIRB, said from Vancouver that "no decision has been made," as to when a certification vote will be held or what form the vote will take.
According to Chiang, the vote could take place at the mine site, by mail-in ballot, or by using a combination of both methods.
