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Crisis at the NEU?

Cone of silence descends on union after emergency teleconference

JIM BELL

A cone of silence descended over the Nunavut Employees Union this week, after an emergency teleconference at the union's Iqaluit office Monday night and persistent suggestions that NEU president Doug Workman might soon be departing from his job.

"We're not going to be making a comment to the public because this will be an internal affair of the union," said Jean-François Des Lauriers, the Public Service Alliance of Canada's northern region vice-president.

The NEU is a "component" beneath PSAC, which represents about 150,000 workers in Canada. The NEU, which came into existence on April 1, 1999, represents about 50 per cent of people in Nunavut who have jobs, including most GN employees, and people who work for municipalities and housing associations.

Workman has served as the NEU's president since its creation. This week, he was travelling through Nunavut communities in connection with a vote to ratify a collective agreement between the Qulliq Energy Corp. and its unionized employees.

When contacted, Workman would not comment on questions about the status of his position within the NEU.

"I can't make an official comment," Workman said.

On the evening of June 13, members of the Nunavut NDP association were to have met at the NEU boardroom in Iqaluit.

But they were unable to hold that meeting. According to one source, a PSAC official told the NDP that the room was unavailable because an "emergency teleconference" was underway.

A source who requested anonymity told Nunatsiaq News this week that Workman's position may have been a subject of discussion at that teleconference, as well as certain "complaints" from NEU members.

Des Lauriers said there has been "no impropriety" within the NEU.

And when asked about the purpose of his visit to Iqaluit's NEU office, Des Lauriers said, "We're assisting the component with their work."

He also said that whatever decisions are taken, they are an "internal matter for the union," and the membership will be informed.

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