Yellowknife (Jun 21/06) - A Yellowknife jeweller is furious the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) handed out leaflets in front of his store last week, asking customers not to buy Aurias and CanadaMark brand diamonds that come from Ekati mine.

Jean-Francois Des Lauriers makes a case against BHP Billiton, owners of the Ekati diamond mine, as he stands in front of Sasha's Jewellery on Franklin Avenue, June 17. - Philippe Morin/NNSL photo Union strikes out internationally Ekati mine strike supporters targeted jewelry store customers across Canada last weekend with leaflets calling the mine's diamonds "dirty." Stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec were caught in the Public Service Alliance of Canada's campaign against BHP Billiton. PSAC also ran newspaper ads in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal on June 13.

Unionized workers at the mine, owned by BHP Billiton, have been on strike since April 7.

Jason Yamkowy, owner of Sasha's Jewellery and Arctic Art, said the union is unfairly dragging his business into a labour conflict.

He said he has no link to Ekati's owner, and buys his diamonds through a third-party supplier. "They are protesting against my store - that's my customers and my livelihood," he said. "I'm trying to make a living like everybody else. Does anyone think BHP Billiton cares about the 10 diamonds I sell per month?"

On June 17, leaders of PSAC handed out leaflets titled "Dirty Diamonds" for two hours outside Yamkowy's store on Franklin Avenue.

The flyers did not mention Sasha's by name, but urged shoppers to "send BHP a lesson" by boycotting Ekati diamonds.

John Sullivan, one of the pamphlet distributors, said the group was not calling for a boycott of any specific store.

"We don't mind (people) shopping here. They can buy everything in the store, so long as they boycott (Ekati) diamonds," he said.

Yamkowy said Canadian diamonds are the "bread and butter" of his business, and was unfairly singled out.

"(The union) knows that talking to every one of my customers will affect my business" he said.

Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, regional executive vice-president of PSAC, said BHP Billiton, a billion-dollar Australian multinational, is unfair to workers.

"BHP markets itself as a company which makes ethical diamonds, but this is far from the truth," he said.

Yellowknife resident Ty Miller received one of the PSAC handouts and said he sees both sides of the argument.

"BHP is a huge company. They should be able to come to terms with their workers," he said. "But (Yamkowy) didn't do anything to cause this. He just ends up in the middle."

It's not clear how many of the union's 385 Ekati members are on strike. An undetermined number of workers have crossed the picket line and are back at work.