April 10, 2006

EKATI Strike: Day TWO & THREE
The strike continues and solidarity grows

In Yellowknife , members held three information/strategy meetings and continue monitoring locations BHP is likely to use to ship goods and personnel to the mine site. Members are reporting very little employer activities at those locations.

In Hay River, approximately 35 diamond workers and their wives, partners and supporters marched from the Legion Hall in Hay River, all around downtown, and then to the NorthMart grocery store parking lot. Hay River residents signed letters petitioning all levels of government to support the diamond workers and contact BHP to tell them to negotiate a fair, first collective agreement with their workers. Morale is high amongst the members and community support is overwhelming.

On Sunday, members built a phone bank and called their sisters and brothers to make sure they don't go back to work or that they leave the site at the first occasion.

In Edmonton , PSAC members held strategy meetings on the week-end to plan the days ahead. Judging from their reports, PSAC members will be very busy in Edmonton this week showing their support for our sisters and brothers at the Ekati mine.

PSAC members residing in remote communities are finding creative ways to fulfill their picket line requirements. In Rae-Edzo, members chopped wood for elders and went hunting caribou to provide the community with fresh meat. They also made some small repairs and shovelled driveways for elders in other locations, like Kugluktuk, Wha Ti, Wekweti, Gameti, Fort Providence , Deline and Fort Smith .

On site, in spite of management pressure, IAMAW members refuse to do struck work. The Aurora college campus in Yellowknife also decided to respect the PSAC picket line and cancelled the work placement for students that was scheduled at the Ekati mine.

"UNITED WE STAND - DIVIDED WE BEG"