Hay River Reserve (Jan 15/07) - The labour dispute at the NWT's only addictions treatment centre shows no signs of ending any time soon.

As of last week, no negotiations were planned between the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre on the Hay River Reserve and the Union of Northern Workers (UNW)/Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

Twenty-two unionized workers have been off the job since Oct. 23 in what they call a lockout and management calls a strike.

"There is no end in sight," said UNW president Todd Parsons, who believes the dispute may require territorial government intervention.

Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, PSAC's regional vice-president, said the situation is status quo. "The employer is still looking for major concessions which are unjustified."

The workers have been without a new contract for three-and-a-half years.

Melvin Larocque, the treatment centre's executive director, said the dispute revolves around salary and management rights.

"They want so much and we can't afford it," he said of the union's demands.

Larocque explained the centre cannot continue to cope with what he describes as excessive benefits negotiated by the union with the previous management.

For example, he noted an employee without a spouse or children gets $15,000 in benefits above his or her salary. Benefits include a utilities allowance of $100 a month and a $500-a-year allowance to drive to and from work.

Des Lauriers rejects the idea the centre cannot afford the benefits, noting the expired contract has remained in effect for the last three-and-a-half years. "The employer has been able to honour that without any sign it was having a negative effect on their viability."

The previous contract was for three years, and the workers have lived under it for almost seven years.

In a Dec. 13 letter, Larocque asked Parsons to clarify his comments to the media suggesting the union might consider making concessions.

The situation is confusing, since the union negotiator said there would be no concessions, Larocque noted. "Until we hear a response on their in-house communications problems, we can't decide on what we do next."

Parsons said there is no confusion, adding a reply has been sent to the letter.

The union is not interested in concession bargaining, but would consider wage parity with GNWT workers in lieu of some benefits, he said.

However, Parsons said the centre has proposed a nine per cent cut in wages and benefits. "They're proposing an entire rewrite of the collective agreement."

When the labour dispute began, five clients at Nats'ejee K'eh for its 28-day program were moved to the Action North treatment centre in High Level, Alta.

"We just cancelled the program," Larocque said, adding a management staff of four continues to work.

Larocque said there was no cost to the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre for transferring the clients to Alberta, other than the cost of gas to drive them to High Level. They received treatment in Alberta under the National Native Alcohol and Drug Addictions Program.

NWT residents don't have to pay to receive treatment at Nats'ejee K'eh.

The centre survives on core funding from the territorial government - a maximum of $1.8 million a year.

Since the dispute began, nine applications for treatment have been turned down, Larocque said.

"I'm assuming they're applying for treatment elsewhere."