Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, February 12, 2007

HAY RIVER RESERVE - It looks like a long labour dispute is over at the NWT's only addictions treatment centre located on the Hay River Reserve.

"We have successfully reached a tentative agreement with the employer at Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre," said Todd Parsons, president of the Union of Northern Workers.

The deal was reached at 5:30 p.m on Feb. 7 - day 107 of the dispute -- at the end of a planned three days of talks in Hay River.

"It went right to the bitter end," Parsons said.

The four-year tentative deal is retroactive to April 1, 2006.

The workers will get retroactive pay increases of between $4-$12 an hour, depending on job classification. Plus, there will be pay hikes of three per cent in each of the next three years.

In addition, all workers - including counsellors, wellness workers, attendants, van drivers, cooks and kitchen aides - will each get a $1,500 signing bonus.

One of the centre's concerns in negotiations was what it previously described as excessive benefits in the old contract, such as gas and vacation allowances.

Parsons said there were adjustments made to the benefits "in lieu of improved annual rates of pay."

Despite numerous attempts, no member of the centre's bargaining team nor executive director Melvin Larocque could be reached for comment.

The workers - without a new contract since 2003 - have been off the job since Oct. 24.

A ratification vote by workers was planned over the weekend, and results should be announced early this week.

Parsons and other members of the union's bargaining team outlined the agreement to workers at a meeting on the evening of Feb. 7.

"People appeared to be in good spirits about what was presented," he said, adding he is optimistic the workers will ratify the agreement.

Eloise Fineday, a counsellor at the treatment centre, said the end of strike will be a relief and she will be very happy to return to work.

Fineday, who was a member of the union's bargaining team, said it was a good feeling to finally reach an agreement.

"It will be even better when it's ratified," she said.

From discussions with other workers, Fineday expects the tentative agreement will be accepted.

Parsons said he is proud of the workers who maintained solidarity during the labour dispute.

Of the 19 who walked out, two did not actively participate. They and two others returned to work last month. Two others left for work elsewhere.

That leaves 13 to return to work.

Parsons doesn't expect any workplace problems between the pickets and those who returned to work before the dispute was over.

"I am very confident our union members will return to work in a professional and respectful manner," he said. "They are eager to put this matter behind them."