Mediator to step into dispute between union and N.W.T. government over wages
Katie Toth | CBC News | Posted: June 10, 2018 9:01 AM | Last Updated: June 12, 2018
'Things are not going well,' says union president, as government says it's preparing for a possible strike
The Union of Northern Workers expects to begin mediation in the fall to resolve their ongoing contract dispute with the government of the Northwest Territories.
Union president Todd Parsons told CBC both sides had "reached an impasse" and that they will not be meeting to negotiate again until there is a mediator present — most likely in October.
"Things are not going well," he said.
Parsons said the government and union agreed on a mediator within the last two weeks, but he did not want to name that individual before a date is agreed upon, in case the mediator is unavailable and they have to find someone else.
The parties began negotiating a new contract in 2016. David Roberts, a union-side labour law expert at the Nova Scotia firm Pink Larkin, said the length of time the union and government has spent bargaining is "not unusual."
CBC sent questions to the government of the Northwest Territories' Finance Department on Friday. The department responded on Monday, confirming that "both parties have agreed to a mediator" and are working on dates, although the union has not served notice of mediation as required by the Public Service Act.
"[The government] is prepared to return to the bargaining table at any time, with or without the assistance of a mediator, and remains committed to reaching a collective agreement that meets the common objectives of recognizing our valued public servants and the fiscal sustainability of the Northwest Territories," the department said in an email response.
The territorial government is also preparing for the possibility of a strike, according to the email.
'We're going to do everything that we can to avoid a strike'
Mediation may bring the parties closer to a resolution, but it is also one of the steps the union must take before going on strike.
The territory's Public Service Act requires that the union and government agree on a plan to provide essential services during a work stoppage, that they work with a mediator, and that the union serve a strike notice before a legal strike can occur.
In April, the union announced that 70 per cent of members who voted had voted in favour of a strike.
"We're going to do everything that we can to avoid a strike but it was important for the union to conduct a strike vote so that the employer could then see how strong the bargaining team's positions are supported by the membership," Parsons told CBC on Friday.
However, Parsons has consistently refused to reveal how much of the membership actually showed up to vote.
"I'm not prepared to release any numbers in relation to our strike vote results," he said, confirming only that the turnout was higher than that of the Northwest Territories' last election in 2015, which was 44.3 per cent.
In an interview with Cabin Radio, which first reported that the territory and the union would be selecting a mediator, Parsons said that saving the turnout information was a "strategic decision" but that it was "something very favourable."
Union negotiators want a three per cent salary increase every year for three years. The government offered no salary increases in the first two years, a one per cent increase in year three, and a 1.1 per cent increase in the final year. The first two years would be retroactive.
A finance spokesperson previously told CBC News that the government can't afford the union's financial demands.
Corrections:- A previous version of this story misquoted Todd Parsons as saying 'we're going to do everything we can to go on strike.' In fact, Parsons said 'we're going to do everything we can to avoid a strike.' June 11, 2018 7:41 PM