Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 20/02) - About 250 Parks Canada employees in the North could go on strike this spring if the federal government does not concede a number of demands from the employees' union.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is demanding that Parks Canada withdraw a number of clawbacks or face a walkout during the peak revenue season.

"We don't concession bargain," said Kevin King, PSAC vice-president representing Alberta, the NWT and Nunavut.

If a strike occurs, it could mean closing Wood Buffalo Park.

"The parks that are more just natural settings won't have as obvious a reduction in services as the parks like Wood Buffalo, where they have educational programs and interpretive programs," said PSAC regional representative Ben McDonald.

Among the issues for the union are pay for overtime, weekends and isolated posts. Parks Canada wants to offer overtime pay only when an employee has exceeded 2,080 hours in a year, rather than the current system of paying for any work over 40 hours in a week.

For seasonal workers, which comprise one-third of parks staff, King said that "has a devastating impact."

Parks Canada is also refusing to include a standardized premium for workers at isolated posts, saying it prefers to make individual negotiations.

"That's a big potential issue for persons in the North," said King.

King will fly across the North in the next few weeks, gathering strike votes and conducting strike training.

He is threatening Parks Canada with a loss in revenue if a strike occurs, and says the union is prepared.

"Our union is currently operating a decent war chest should the need arise," he said.