Hay River Reserve (Jan 22/07) - Four workers have returned to work at the NWT's only addictions treatment centre.

A cook, a maintenance person and two night attendants returned to work Jan. 15 at the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre on the Hay River Reserve.

Garry Fraser, a strike co-ordinator with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said the defections have not hurt the resolve of the remaining 16 picketing workers.

No one was surprised when the four workers crossed the line, he said. "Everyone was prepared for it."

Two had not been picketing since the dispute began Oct. 23, but had stayed home and not received strike pay.

"They basically said they were tired of it and wanted to go back to work," said Fraser.

Their return to work makes no difference for the treatment centre since no counsellors have returned, he noted. "They can't get a program started."

Melvin Larocque, the treatment centre's executive director, said more defections are likely.

"I have a few more who want to come, but they tell me they are afraid," he said.

Larocque said he is not accusing the strikers of physical threats, just hurling "extreme" verbal insults at the workers who have crossed the picket line.

"I don't think they would be called healers if people knew what they were saying," he said.

Larocque also questions how many people are still actually on strike. Taking into account the returning workers and two who have left for other jobs, he figures there are only 11.

No negotiations are planned to end the dispute, which management calls a strike and the union labels a lockout.

The workers, who have been without a new contract since 2003, are represented by PSAC and the Union of Northern Workers.

The dispute involves pay levels and benefits.

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

Nine applications for treatment have since been turned down by the centre. Instead, seven people have gone for treatment in High Level.

"We are covering that tab," Health and Social Services Minister Floyd Roland said of the treatment in Alberta, but declined to say how much it is costing his department.

Roland said the GNWT is encouraging both sides to sit down and try to work out an agreement.