Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 21/05) - Labour woes that have plagued the Fort Simpson ferry could be replayed in Fort Providence - the only road link to and from Yellowknife.

Workers on the Mackenzie River vessel have unionized under the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). They are pressing employer Rowe's Construction for improved wages and benefits, as have their counterparts in Fort Simpson.

After failed negotiations, ferry crew members in Fort Simpson went on strike on Oct. 12. Replacement workers took over two days later, but Rowe's Construction informed the GNWT that they would not be able to maintain the service beyond Thursday.

In Fort Providence, the union has already requested collective bargaining dates with Rowe's Construction. Job action can't occur until bargaining takes place, but depending on the course of negotiations, a strike remains a possibility before the end of the ferry season, said Jean Francois Des Lauriers, vice-president of the PSAC's northern region.

The Merv Hardie ferry normally runs until early January.

"We're going to try our darndest to reach an agreement but it depends on the attitude that the employer will take," Des Lauriers said.

Calls to Rowe's Construction were not returned Thursday.

Bob Kelly, manager of public affairs for the Department of Transportation, wouldn't say how the GNWT will respond should relations become as strained in Fort Providence as they have in Fort Simpson.

"We don't want to speculate on that," he said. "Let's wait and see what happens down there."

Mackenzie River ferry workers were unionized under the previous contract, held jointly by Snowshoe Inn Ltd. and Digaa Enterprises Ltd. of Fort Providence. The union's hold ended when Rowe's Construction won the three-year ferry tender in 2004 for close to $2.5 million.