The NWT government says it has reached a tentative deal with the Union of Northern Workers that is set to give thousands of GNWT workers a salary increase of 10.5 percent over three years.
The two sides previously said they had been unable to negotiate a new collective agreement despite the months-long involvement of a mediator, Jacquie de Aguayo.
In a Friday evening news release, the GNWT said that had changed and the two parties would now recommend ratification of the deal.
According to the GNWT, the agreement gives staff a six-percent pay increase backdate to April 1, 2023, a 2.25-percent increase backdated to April 1, 2024, and a 2.25-percent increase effective April 1, 2025.
If ratified, the deal would expire at the end of March 2026.
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The GNWT said the agreement-in-principle also includes “recruitment and retention improvements for healthcare professionals” and cultural leave for Indigenous employees.
Previously, the Union of Northern Workers said it had “not seen sufficient action” from the GNWT at the bargaining table to improve staffing and advance reconciliation.
In a Friday evening statement, the union’s bargaining team said the 10.5-percent increase was “disappointing” and fell short of the salary hikes achieved by other northern bargaining units.
However, the bargaining team added, the overall package offered “important gains in addressing the key issues of reconciliation and retention of healthcare workers.”
“The bargaining team will be recommending ratification,” the statement added.
