SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Dominion Diamond Corporation has officially cancelled the existing company charter flight between Edmonton and the city, effective May 31.
Flights leaving Edmonton carrying fly-in, fly-out workers for the Dominion Diamond Corporation may be coming to an end. According to a press release, the corporation will no longer charter flights for its southern workforce. - photo courtesy of Edmonton International Airport |
In an e-mailed written statement, Dominion's vice-president of projects and business development, Elliot Holland, told Yellowknifer that as of June 1, all company-sponsored fly-points with transport to the mine site will be within the territory.
"All employees who reside outside of these areas will be required to travel to an approved Northern fly-point," he wrote.
Holland cited the company's obligations to the GNWT under its socio-economic agreement to support the Northern economy and its workforce.
"We have been assessing our policies to make enhancements to retain Northern-resident workers and to entice others to move north by promoting NWT as a great place to work, live and raise families," he stated.
When Yellowknifer first reported on Dominion's intentions to cancel the flights last fall, Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger said the company's change aligned with the territorial government's stated objective to increase its resident workforce.
However, Miltenberger denied the GNWT had anything to do with the decision, calling it a case of common interest.
In a written statement, the minister has since reinforced that viewpoint, saying he supports this "initiative to attract and incent more of its workforce to reside in the NWT."
The union representing employees at the Ekati Diamond mine, United Northern Workers, said it cannot disclose whether or not it is currently advocating on behalf of fly-in-fly-out flying in from Edmonton due to current negotiations with Dominion Diamond Corporation that started in February.
"This issue is a matter of these negotiations," spokesperson Craig Yeo said Tuesday afternoon by phone.
He added that this non-disclosure policy is due to case law in labour relations to specifically prevent the involvement of the media.
"It can sometimes be considered bad-faith bargaining using public echo to reinforce and raise (points,)" he said.
Although Dominion and UNW would not disclose the number of employees who would be affected at press time, a 2013 joint briefing paper said that Ekati employs a little more than 1,200 workers on site, with almost half (46 per cent) of that workforce living outside of the NWT.
- with files from Walter Strong
