Hay River talks stall, Fort Smith workers back to table Thursday

The Town of Hay River says union representatives rejected its latest proposal Wednesday and workers remain on strike.

Workers with the Town of Hay River and the Fort Smith Housing Authority have both been on strike since early February. Both groups are represented by the Union of Northern Workers, and say the main sticking point in negotiations is wages. 

It was announced yesterday that negotiations in both communities would begin again this week, in the hopes of ending the two strikes.

However, the Town of Hay River issued a news release Wednesday morning stating that talks had broken down.

It said the town had increased its offered wage increase to 1.25 per cent for each year of the agreement but the union rejected the proposal.

Union of Northern Workers president Todd Parsons had previously stated that Town workers are seeking a two per cent annual wage increase.

'All we want to do is get back to work'

Meanwhile, in Fort Smith, strike captain Dallas Campbell says "all we want to do is get back to work.

"We're all creatures of habit. We love our routines. We enjoy going to work in the morning. I think, at this point, if we can go back to the table and work out a fair deal for both sides, the guys would like nothing more than to get back to work on Monday morning."

The Union of Northern Workers stated it hopes the return to negotiations will bring an end to the two strikes. 

The strikes have led to disruptions in the affected communities, including the cancellation of a territorial figure skating competition, as well as the school curling championships in Hay River.