Iqaluit (July 09/01) - Nunavut Tunngavik's board of directors devoted part of a teleconference last week to discuss the severance package outgoing president Paul Quassa will receive.

Quassa resigned as president last month, effective July 31, citing family concerns and the mistrust of some board members. When asked if the teleconference, which was called June 29 to schedule board and annual general meetings, also included the topic of what is commonly called a golden handshake, an NTI official at the meeting would only reply, "yes." When asked the amount of the financial package, he said: "I can't get into any details."

Acting president James Eetoolook is the only person within the organization authorized to comment on the matter. He was unavailable last week because he was in Edmonton negotiating the economic agreement for the DEW-line cleanup with the Department of National Defence.

Because Quassa resigned from his presidency and was not terminated, the amount he will be paid cannot technically be called severance pay. However, Eetoolook said recently there was a clause for the remuneration of those who resign in the organization's human resources policy manual.

According to policy in Section 8 of that manual, terminated NTI employees are entitled to a certain amount of money based upon their years of service. An employee who works with NTI for more than 10 years is entitled to 16 weeks salary plus three more weeks for each year of service over five years.

Quassa first started with the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, NTI's predecessor, in 1985. If he is entitled to a similar package, he stands to receive 49 weeks of salary.