Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, March 19, 2007

HAY RIVER RESERVE - Programming will resume this week at Nats-ejee K'eh Treatment Centre, following a lengthy labour dispute that ended last month.

Melvin Larocque, the executive director of the addictions treatment facility on the Hay River Reserve, said a new intake of clients is set for March 21.

As of last week, applications were still being accepted and Larocque did not know how many clients will be accepted.

The workers, represented by the Union of Northern Workers, returned to work Feb. 26 after a four-year contract was ratified by both sides.

'We've been doing lots of program development,' Larocque said. 'We've been gearing up for March 21.'

Healing sessions have also been held for the staff. Nineteen workers were on the picket lines beginning Oct. 24, but only 13 stayed out for the duration of the labour dispute. Four others returned to work early, while two left for other jobs.

Larocque declined to comment on the healing sessions, but said staff members are working together and are happy to be back on the job.

The four-year contract, which is retroactive to April 1, 2006, gives workers retroactive pay raises of $4-$12 an hour depending on job classification, and pay hikes of three per cent a year in each of the next three years.