The Union of Northern Workers says bargaining talks with the GNWT held on August 5 and 6 were ended early as the territorial government requested a mediator.
“The employer didn’t step up and, in fact, cut our bargaining session short by declaring impasse,” the UNW told its members in an update on August 7, referencing a previous July update in which the union said the GNWT had “missed the mark” at the bargaining table.
“We don’t disagree with their assessment that we are far apart, and while we thought there was still room to bargain a bit further, there was no appetite on the part of the employer to do so without the assistance of a third party.”
The UNW said it had brought “some fair compromises” on August 5 and a “comprehensive response on most unresolved matters” on August 6. The UNW statement specifically highlighted calculations of the northern allowance as an issue.
The union said bargaining won’t start again until the fall because both parties have to agree on a mediator.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Beau Stobbs, a spokesperson for the GNWT, said the territorial government had declared an impasse because the two parties were unable to reach an agreement on “a number of key outstanding issues” during their two days of bargaining.
“Given the lack of progress toward narrowing the gap between the parties’ positions, the GNWT concluded that further progress through direct negotiations alone was unlikely and that mediation would provide the best opportunity to advance discussions,” said Stobbs.
Stobbs said mediation is a normal part of the collective bargaining process and will allow a “neutral third party” to help the GNWT and UNW negotiate a settlement.
“As negotiations move into mediation, the GNWT’s focus remains on reaching a fair and reasonable collective agreement that recognizes the contributions of employees, supports the continued delivery of programs and services to residents, and is fiscally responsible,” said Stobbs.
“The GNWT remains committed to bargaining in good faith and is hopeful that mediation will assist the parties in resolving the remaining outstanding issues.”
The latest collective agreement outlining employment terms for thousands of GNWT staff lapsed at the end of March. Its terms will remain in place until a new agreement is signed.
