YELLOWKNIFE - About 120 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) held a protest against the territorial government's cuts to the public service May 30.

Brad Brake, second vice president for the Union of Northern Workers, holds up a sign at the protest May 30. - Alix McNaught/NNSL photo

Chanting "hey, hey, ho, ho, Pink Slip Floyd has got to go," delegates to PSAC's fourth Triennial Convention marched from the Explorer Hotel to the legislative assembly May 30, waving banners and placards.

The delegates from across the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon elected a new executive during the convention.

Jean-François Des Lauriers was re-elected to the position of regional executive vice president (REVP). Des Lauriers has filled that role for the past 11 years.

Coleman Nyathi was acclaimed to the position of alternate REVP.

For PSAC's North Council, delegates elected three territorial directors.

Bill Dalton will serve as director for the Northwest Territories, Hannah Uniuqsaraq as director for Nunavut and Mike Nugent as director for the Yukon.

The newly re-elected regional executive vice president, Des Lauriers, spoke to the protesters in front of the legislative assembly, as did Union of Northern Workers president Todd Parsons and Patty Ducharme, national executive vice president of PSAC, who was in Yellowknife from B.C.

Acknowledging the gains that have been made through budget negotiations, the speakers focused upon the effects and repercussions of cutting public services, as well as on what they view as the unfounded basis for those cuts.

Leaving their signs and banners outside, the delegates went into the legislative assembly, where they sat for 15 minutes to make their presence known, then left.