The Government of Nunavut attempted to SA国际影视传媒渓everage their incompetence at the bargaining tableSA国际影视传媒� by almost halving the amount offered for Nunavut Northern allowance, the Nunavut Employees Union is alleging, based on documents obtained in a court case.
The territorial government reduced a $33 million offer to just $17 million, blaming it on a miscalculation.
The union is accusing the GN of deliberately withholding knowledge of that Northern allowance error until just four days before mediation resumed on Oct. 28, 2019 rather than revealing it on June 19 of that year when the territorial government became aware of the mistake.
SA国际影视传媒淚t doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 take four months to send one email and it definitely doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 take four months to pick up the phone,SA国际影视传媒� said newly-elected NEU president Jason Rochon.
As evidence of the delay in communications, the NEU points to the GNSA国际影视传媒檚 seeking advice from its lawyer on the matter, as well as an internal email from Department of Human Resources deputy minister Sheila Kolola asking, SA国际影视传媒淥n another note, how is the bargaining team going to tell the NEU about the miscalculation in the NNA (Nunavut Northern allowance)?SA国际影视传媒� In addition, senior civil servants were discussing the matter into late September, according to government documents that were turned over to the union.
Rochon contends that the GNSA国际影视传媒檚 last-minute approach was intended to SA国际影视传媒渟hock us into accepting an unfair deal.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭heir strategy caused a bargaining impasse and has left our members without a contract,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 know if ISA国际影视传媒檒l ever trust the GN but I know I need to work with them because our members deserve a lot better than what theySA国际影视传媒檝e been getting,SA国际影视传媒� he said, repeatedly stating that heSA国际影视传媒檚 tired of SA国际影视传媒減retty wordsSA国际影视传媒� from the Premier and senior GN officials, who publicly thanked civil servants for their efforts in fighting Covid-19 but havenSA国际影视传媒檛 offered agreeable terms for a new collective agreement.
Rochon wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 prepared to say whether the union will insist on the $33 million for Northern allowance being restored, or whether $17 million will be the negotiations starting point when bargaining resumes. That will depend on the advice of the unionSA国际影视传媒檚 negotiators, he said.
The Department of Human Resources was unable to provide immediate comment on Friday afternoon. Assistant deputy minister Grant McMichael recently told Nunavut News that SA国际影视传媒渢he GN does not comment on specific financial aspects of an ongoing collective agreement negotiation.SA国际影视传媒�
He also stated that the miscalculation was an SA国际影视传媒渦nintentional human mathematical error.SA国际影视传媒�
The union, which represents more than 4,000 GN employees, has been working under an expired collective bargaining agreement for the past three years. The NEU took the territorial government to court in 2019, accusing the GN of SA国际影视传媒渂ad faithSA国际影视传媒� bargaining. The case is still pending in court.
Northern allowance has not changed for GN workers in 12 years. Rochon noted that inflation has raised prices substantially since then, particularly during the pandemic. In addition, he said some union members, like others in Iqaluit, are now forced to buy cases of drinking water for $45 to $55, which is not affordable for some.
SA国际影视传媒淧eople were already living paycheque to paycheque before this happened,SA国际影视传媒� said Rochon.
