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TuesdayMarch1020157POLITICSLABOURJUSTICEBOMBTHREATSByDALICARMICHAELRCMParecontinuinginvestigationsintotwoseparatebombthreatstarget-ingYellowknifehighschoolsoverthelastthreemonths.Asofyetnochargeshavebeenlaidinei-thercasebutpolicesaytheycontinuetoseekinformationonwhomightbemakingthesethreatsandwhy.ThemostrecentthreatoccurredonMar.3whenstudentsatcoleSirJohnFrank-linHighSchoolwereevacuatedjustafter1p.m.Noexplosivedeviceswerelocatedafterathoroughsearch.SimilarlyonJan.16St.PatricksHighSchoolandWeledehCatholicSchoolwereclosedandstudentssenthomeafterthefor-merreceivedabombthreatthatalsoturnedupnoexplosivedevices.Therehavebeennochargeslaidinei-therschoolthreatinvestigationssoIcannotspeaktoanysuspectssaidRCMPspokespersonElenoreSturkowhenaskedifthesamepersoncouldberesponsibleforbothincidents.RCMPwouldnotcommentonthedetailsoftheinvestigationastheyarenotopentothepublicatthistime.Policewerealsounabletoprovidein-formationonthefinancialimpactthethreatshavehadontheRCMPandthemunicipality.RCMPinvestigatingmultiplebombthreatsatYellowknifeschoolsEveryinvestigationisdifferentSturkosaid.Thecostisvariable.Iwontbeprovid-ingagure.ForbothincidentsYellowknifeRCMPthelocalRCMPCrimeReductionUnitGeneralInvestigationSectionandtheNorthwestTer-ritoriesRCMPEmergencyResponseTeamrespondedtothescene.InadditiontotheRCMPunitstheYellowknifeMunicipalEn-forcementDivisionwasalsopresentduringtheJanuaryincident.Multipleunitsareinvolvedwhenwecon-ductthistypeofoperation.WeuseasmanyunitsasrequiredtoensurepublicsafetyincludingourEmergencyResponseTeamSturkosaid.Whilethereisacostassociatedwithallpoliceworkourfocusisensuringthepublicissaferstandforemost.Whenaskedwhetherthepublicshouldbeconcernedaboutfuturebombthreatspolicedeclinedtocomment.UndertheCriminalCodeofCanadaany-onewhoconveysinformationtheyknowtobefalsewithintenttoinjureoralarmanypersonisguiltyofanindictableoffenceandliabletoimprisonmentforatermnotexceed-ingtwoyears.AnyonewithinformationoneitherincidentisaskedtocontacttheYellowknifeRCMPat867669-1111orreportanonymouslythroughCrimeStoppersat1-800-222-8477onnwtnutips.comorbytextto274637.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAmonthafteritstarteditseemsthestrikeisnoclosertoendinginHayRiverwheremu-nicipalemployeescontinuetopicketoutsidethetownsfacilities.ThetwopartieshaveyettomeetsincearstattemptatreturningtothebargainingtableonFeb.24provedunsuccessfulthougheachteamsnegotiatormaintainsregularcontactwiththefederalconciliationofce.Ihavenotbeenadvisedbythenegotiatorthattheemployerhasindicatedanywilling-nesstoimproveitslastofferUnionofNorth-ernWorkersUNWpresidentToddParsonstoldTheJournallastFridayafternoon.Parsonssaidtheworkerscontinuetodowhattheycantocommunicatewithresidentsandputpressureonthetowntomeettheirdemands.Werecontinuingregularcontactwiththeresi-dentsofthetownofHayRiver.Wehaveregularweekendeventsthatareopportunitiesfortheresidentstocomeandmeetwiththestrikerstogetabetterunderstandingoftheunionsbar-gainingpositionParsonssaid.Everydaythestrikershaveacheck-inandthestrikersthem-selvessetthecourseanddirectionofthestrate-giesthataretakenduringthelabourdispute.LastweekfederalNWTMPDennisBev-ingtonjoinedthepicketersinHayRiverof-feringsupporttotheunion.IwasgladtohaveachancetosupporttheHayRivertownemployeesandutilizeanypublicitytoencouragethepartiesbacktothenegotiatingtableBevingtontoldTheJour-nal.AtthistimeintheNorthwithourhigherinationratesanddifcultcostoflivingis-suesthereisaneedtoseewageskeepup.WeveenjoyedDennisparticipationatanum-berofourstrikelinesovertheyearsParsonssaid.Hesverysupportiveoflabourandwerepleasedtoseethatheissupportiveofworkers.TownslastofferbackresThebriefjauntbacktothebargainingtablelastmonthseemedtoexacerbatefrustra-tionsonbothsidesofthedisputemorethanresolvethem.Thetowncametothetablewitha24-hourtake-itorleave-itofferofa1.25annualwageincreaseoverthenextthreeyears.AftertheunionrefusedMayorAndrewCassidyat-temptedtocoaxemployeesoverthepicketlinewithanopenlettertellingthema1raiseawaitedthemiftheyabandonedtheirunion.Thoseattemptsbackred.ThefollowingdayworkersburnedtheopenletteroutsideofTownHallandsoonaftercreatedapeti-tioncallingforCassidysresignation.Asofpresstimethepetitionhad22signatures.Cassidysaidcouncilcontinuestomeetregularlyandisholdingitsoriginalposi-tionwhileplanningforfurthercontingen-ciesifthestrikeisprolongedintospringandsummer.WerebacktoouroriginalofferCas-sidysaid.Rightnowcouncilissayingthisisstillthepositionthatwereholdingandwehaventheardfromtheunionaboutget-tingbacktothetablewithacounterfromthemsoIguessitsjustinabitofahold-ingpattern.TensionsriseafterhomeshitwithsignsAllegationsofharassmentalsobegantosur-facelastweekwithcouncillorscomplainingthatstrikingworkerswereleavingsignssayingWeAreAllAffectedattheirhomes.OnecouncillorreportedlycalledtheRCMPoverconcernsthesignsconstitutedapicketingviolation.Accordingtotheunionsuchremindersarepartofthelegitimateactivitystrikingworkerscanengageinwhichalsoincludestherighttopicketoutsideofprivateresi-dencesownedbytheiremployers.Somewereupsetaboutsignsonthepub-licpropertyoutsidethehomesofcouncillorsandthemayorbutsincethemayorandcoun-cilhaventaddressedourconcernsdirectlythesignsaresimplyareminderthatwearestillstandingtogetherinthecoldhopingtogetbacktoworkwithafairdealsaidJackBourassavice-presidentforthePublicSer-viceAllianceofCanadasNorthernregion.Thesignsaretheonlyactionwevetakenotherthanthefacilitypickets.Wehaveeveryrighttosetupsecondarypicketlinesatthehomesofthecouncillorsandthemayorbutwedontwanttotakethisstepbecausewebelieveitwouldbedetrimentaltothecom-munityatthistimeBourassaadded.Cassidyacknowledgedtheunionslegalrighttopicketatpersonalhomesbutappre-ciatesthatthetacticshaveceasedwiththestrikeremaininglargelyrespectful.Thereshasntbeenalotofactivitythatstoountowardhesaid.Therereallyisntanyha-rassmentperseanyintimidationtacticsorany-thinglikethat.Itsbeinghandledrespectfully.HayRivertownstrikeenterssecondmonthUniondefendsrighttopostsignsatcouncillorshomesNWTMPDennisBevingtonpicketswithstrikingmunicipalworkersinHayRiverlastweek.PhotocourtesyofDennisBevington