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2TuesdayMarch32015POLITICSLABOURNEWSBRIEFSDominionDiamondpostsincreasedsalesinfourthquarterreportDominionDiamondCorp.releaseditsyear-endresultslastweekandreportsshowthatsalesareontherise.Thecor-porationwhichhasmajorownershipsharesintheEkatiandDiavikdiamondminespostedQ4salesofUS240.6millionin2014upfrom233.2millioninthesamequarterlastyear.Intotalthecompanyhad915.7millioninsalesoverthescalyearendingJan.312015.Asofthatstartofthe2016scalyearDominionhadroughdiamondinven-torywithanestimatedmarketvalueofabout270million.TuktoyaktukRCMPinvestigatingsuddendeathRCMPinTuktoyaktukareinvestigatingasuddendeathinthefarNortherncommunity.Policemadetheannounce-mentonFeb.24.OfcialsareworkingwiththeassistanceoftheOfceoftheChiefCoroneroftheNorthwestTerri-toriesastheinvestigationcontinuesandsaynofurtherinformationwillbereleasedatthistime.IcePilotsNWTwinsCanadianScreenAwardforBestFactualseriesIcePilotsNWTtookhometheawardforBestFactualProgramorSeriesattheCanadianScreenAwardsinTorontotheeveningofFeb.24.Theshowranforsixsea-sonsfeaturingNorthwestTerritoriesairlineBuffaloAir-waysanditsrag-tagcrewofNorthernemployeesfromHayRivertoYellowknife.StarBuffaloemployeeMikeyMcBryancollectedtheawardattheceremony.Theshowendeditsrunlastfall.StrikingworkerssetretolatestofferfromHayRivermayorTowntriestocoaxmunicipalemployeesacrosspicketlinefororiginal1offerByMEAGANWOHLBERGThingsheatedupinHayRiverlastweekasstrikingmu-nicipalworkersturnedtoretoexpresstheirfeelingsaboutthetownslatestofferwhichasksemployeestoabandontheirunionandcomebacktoworkforaraiseof1peryear.At5p.m.onThursday24hoursafterreceivinganopenletterfromthemayortryingtocoaxthembackacrossthepicketlinestrikingworkersissuedtheirofcialresponsebyburningthelettersoutsideoftownhall.Itsupsettingthattheyretryingtodivideco-workersfriendsandtheirfamiliesbyaskingthemtocrossthepicketlinesaidEmmaHarperthetownseventcoordinatorwhohasbeenonstrikewithapproximately30otherem-ployeessinceFeb.9.Everymemberwantstoreturntoworkbuttheywanttogettoworkwithafaircon-tractnotbydividingthecom-munityandbecomingscabsaddedMichaelAubrycommu-nicationsofcerforthePublicServiceAllianceofCanadasPSACNorthernofce.TheTownofHayRiveraddressedanopenlettertoallmunicipalemployeesonWednesdayafterafleetingreturntothebargainingtableprovedfruitlessearlierthatmorning.Thatletterinvitedemployeesbacktoworkforapromisedbumpintheirsalary.TheTowninvitesyoutoreturntowork.Ifyoureturnyouwillreceivethe1salaryincreaseforJanuary12014andthe1salaryincreaseforJanuary12015whichwecon-tinuetooffertheletterfromMayorAndrewCassidystated.Youwillalsoreceiveallofthebenetsandallowancesunderthepreviouscollectiveagree-mentwiththeexceptionofthedeductionofuniondues.Ifyouwouldliketoreturntoworkbuthaveanyquestionsorcon-cernsbeforeyoureturnpleasecallyourrespectivedirector.Thetowncontinuestositonitsnalofferofa1yearlywageincreaseforthethree-yearcollectiveagreementthatexpiredinDecember2013.EarlierthisweekthetownhadagreedtogobacktothetablewithPSACandtheUnionofNorthernWorkersuppingtheirofferto1.25peryearforemployeesinanefforttoendthestrikequickly.Thatoffercamewitha24-hourwindowofacceptanceandpromisedtoforthehighestpaidemployeeswithover20yearsexperi-enceitwouldbe36cents.Thegrandtotalforthetownwouldbearound40000peryear.Itsadealtheunionsaysthatmatchestherisingcostofliv-inginthecommunityandthatcouldbepartiallyaddressedbycuttingcostsinotherareaslikephoneandvehicleallowancesfordirectors.Thevehicleal-lowancereceivedbythevemanagementstaffcostsanputworkersbackattheirjobsbytheendoftheweek.Thursdaysfieryanticsasidethebargainingteamrejectedtheofferimmedi-atelyonWednesdaysayingthetownhasrefusedtogiveafairorreasonableoffer.ThetownsofferwasthemostdisappointingthingeversaidKimTybringheadofmaintenanceatthetownsrecreationcentre.Wevebeenstandingoutinthecoldforthreeweeksjusttogetanul-timatum.Itsunprofessional.Accordingtothemayorthe1wageincreaseforeachyearremainsopenforacceptance.Theunioncontinuestoaskfora2.5increaseintherstyearoftheagreementfol-lowedbywageincreasesof2.25overthefollowingtwoyears.Forlifeguardsthelow-estpaidstaffthatwouldmeananhourlyincreaseof18centsaverageof290amonthto-talling17400peryear.Themembersareverywill-ingtomoveintheirofferbuttheyhaventhadthechancetotrulybargainAubrysaid.Offeringultimatumsandtakeitorleaveitdealsisntafairwaytonegotiate.Weneedatruenegotiatingprocesstoendthestrike.Hopefullythatcanhappensoonbecauseev-eryoneloseswithoutit.ThoughthetowncriticizedthebargainingteamfornottakingtheofferbacktothemembershipbeforerejectingitastatementissuedfromthemembershiponThursdaysaidthebargainingunitgoestothetablealreadyknowingwhatthememberswant.Ourworkersarethebar-gainingteamandwearetheunionHarpersaid.Werebehindtheteameverystepoftheway.Offeringultimatumsandtakeitorleaveitdealsisntafairwaytonegotiate.Weneedatruenegotiatingprocesstoendthestrike.MichaelAubryPublicServiceAllianceofCanadaPhotoMichaelAubryPublicServiceAllianceofCanadapresidentRobynBensonthrowsanopenletterfromHayRiverMayorAndrewCassidyintoaburningbarrel.Theletterasksstrikingworkerstocrossthepicketlineandgetbacktowork.