Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 12/01) - After a rough start trying to unionize Canada's first diamond mine, the United Steelworkers are beefing up their Yellowknife presence.

Mike Piche, right, education co-ordinator for the United Steelworker's Union, talks strategy with Ken Neumann, elected in charge of the union for the Northern, Prairie and Western regions. - Dave Sullivan/NNSL photo

The 700,000-strong union is hoping for another run at BHP and will target Diavik, say organizers.

"We've got a lot of work ahead of us," says regional director Ken Neumann.

He and education co-ordinator Mike Piche, who'll be spending more time away from his Ottawa office to rally Northern workers, say they're after more than higher paid industrial workers; they also want to sign up low wage service workers.

With "a serious shortage of housing" driving up the cost of living, "wages" have become the main Northern labour issue, Neumann says.

A few years ago the United Steel Workers (USW) successfully organized workers at the Explorer Hotel and Discovery Inn, but been unable to negotiate a collective agreement.

Steelworkers also represent employees at Yellowknife Co-op, Extra Foods, Northern Addictions Centre in addition to Miramar and two other Northern mines.

In part due to "family differences" with the Northern Federation of Labour, the Steelworkers moved into their own downtown digs last week.

The spat is over former federation administrator Bonnie Skoropad, who was fired last year. An arbitration hearing is scheduled for October.

"We need the federation and the federation needs us. When there's an issue involving local people, we'll both be there," says Piche.

In 1994 USW sent Gilles Deslauriers to Yellowknife, who signed up many of the North's 800 or so members.

In 1999 Deslauriers tried unionizing BHP, but the union was outmanoeuvred by an employee's association, which accused the USW of being outsiders.

Steelworkers may get another chance at the mine site if Canada's Labour Relations Board agrees with allegations the association is too close to company management. If that's the case, sealed ballots from a certification vote may never be counted, and other unions could get a second chance to win over workers.