Yellowknife (Mar 22/06) - Picketers could be chatting slogans in the streets of Yellowknife a week from today as Ekati teeters on what could become the first strike of diamond miners in Canadian history.

Yesterday the Union of Northern Workers, which together with the Public Service Alliance of Canada represents 400 of the mine's approximately 740 workers, set the morning of March 29 as its strike deadline.

"Ideally a work stoppage would result in ceasing operations at the mine," said Todd Parsons, UNW president.

He admitted it could also mean the use of replacement workers especially given the fact they could be flown directly to the mine from outside the territories. But, given the key jobs the unionized workers hold, he said things could not carry on as usual unless they were replaced.

In a vote finalized on March 13, 71.4 per cent of unionized mine workers not only rejected BHP Billiton's contract offer they also gave approval for a strike.

"The ballot the union workers voted on stated a negative vote or response would authorize the union to call a strike if necessary," he said. "The union strategically plans for complications."

When the deal was rejected, the mine's owners offered to meet back at the negotiating table as soon as its bargaining team was available, said Deana Twissel, senior external affairs officer at BHP Billiton.

"We offered up the April 18 date and then the union served us strike notice," she said.

The unions and their members are more than willing to negotiate, but they have no plans to wait that long, said Parsons.

"We're not interested in going to April 18," he said. "It's not acceptable."

Seniority, wage equity, job security and discrimination against aboriginal workers top the list of members' concerns, according to union representatives.

But at least one aboriginal mine worker disagrees with what the union is saying.

"If there had been discriminating practices, they would have been brought up much earlier," said Wilbert Antoine, an Ekati equipment operator.

Though he's not a card-carrying union member, Antoine does pay dues and said many aboriginal workers are happy to be employed with BHP Billiton but now, "everybody is worried about their jobs."