Emails show Iqaluit Housing Authority concerned about image during strike
Emails include response to allegations of replacement workers; details of authority’s wage offer
Unionized workers with the Iqaluit Housing Authority strike outside their workplace last month in Iqaluit, in this file photo. (Photo by Meral Jamal)
The Iqaluit Housing Authority is concerned over the perception of how it’s handled a strike by 13 unionized workers that has gone on for more than a month, according to internal emails obtained by Nunatsiaq News.
The emails, which were not intended for public release, also include details about the housing authority’s denial of the union’s claim that it has used replacement workers during the strike, and the amount of a wage increase the housing authority has offered.
The emails include correspondence between Iqaluit Housing Authority assistant manager Kendra King, the housing authority’s lawyer Russell MacCrimmon, and Amanda Waye, Nunavut Housing Corp.’s manager of community development programs.
The 13 workers, represented by the Nunavut Employees Union, have been on strike since March 17. They were locked out by the housing authority on March 19.
The union is seeking increased wages, compensation for speaking Inuktitut on the job, and a protection of benefits for maternity or paternity leave, NEU president Jason Rochon has said.
Throughout the strike, the housing authority has generally declined comment when approached by Nunatsiaq News.
The emails
However, Waye said on April 18 in the internal email thread that putting out a statement “would be good.”
“We are also hearing from other local housing organizations asking why Iqaluit Housing is being so aggressive to their employees, etc.,” she said.
Waye also said the union has “aggressively” talked about the housing authority on the radio and has been “exhaustive about putting out false information” during the strike.
She noted the union had some of the striking employees on the radio saying the housing authority is refusing to give training and is trying to get rid of all maternity benefits.
King expressed her agreement in the emails.
“I think it would be best to set the record straight on some of these lies,” she wrote.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation released a statement on Thursday clarifying that it is not a party to negotiations and is a “distinct legal entity” from the Iqaluit Housing Authority.
The corporation clarified Friday why Waye, a manager for the housing corporation, is in the email chain advising Iqaluit Housing Authority management on how to respond to the media.
“As [local housing organizations] have limited human resources and labour relations expertise, NHC district offices provide guidance when requested,” stated Alex Rowlson, the housing corp.’s director of strategic planning, in an email.
“IHA remains the ultimate decision maker on these matters.”
The replacement workers
The subject of replacement workers also came up in the internal email thread.
Rochon, as well as members of Public Service Alliance of Canada, claimed earlier this month the housing authority had spent more than $100,000 to bring up replacement workers from the south during the strike.
In a statement to Nunatsiaq News last week, King said the claim the housing authority is hiring or bringing up replacement workers is false.
Both MacCrimmon and Waye note in the internal emails that the housing authority has always used local contractors to support ongoing housing operations, including during this strike.
MacCrimmon goes on to say “the suggestion that there is systemic racism by bringing up workers from the south is irresponsible and untrue.”
In a lengthy email response to questions from Nunatsiaq News, Rochon disputes the denial of replacement workers being used, alleging several instances where striking workers have seen local companies and southern workers doing replacement work.
“The locked-out workers literally seen scab workers today passing the picket line in company vehicles, we know of two local companies that have done scab work, we have a picture of a company parked outside a unit, another company came to the picket line and said, “He was sorry and will only do scab work if kids live in the unit,'” Rochon said in the email.
“Two southern workers have been in town since the week the lock out started doing scab work. When confronted they said they are just doing work because they are on the way to Pond Inlet. 40 days later they are still in Iqaluit doing scab work.”
What are fair wages?
Early in the strike, PSAC north regional executive vice-president Lorraine Rousseau told Nunatsiaq News the housing authority had offered annual wage increases of 1.25 per cent and 1.5 per cent, which the union rejected.
But in the internal email thread, King said the housing authority “has already raised the wages by 5.5%, and the employees didn’t accept our terms and conditions.”
King has told Nunatsiaq News that “fair and reasonable” terms have been offered to workers.
Until now, neither Rochon nor Rousseau have referred publicly to the 5.5 per cent offer mentioned by King and the union has been quiet about what specific increases it is looking for.
Now, Rochon confirmed the authority has offered a wage increase of 5.5 per cent over four years, which he said averages to a 1.38 per cent increase per year.
He said the union is seeking a 10.3 per cent increase over five years, with market adjustments for positions such as trade helper, plumber and painter.
Nunatsiaq News received a news release from the Iqaluit Housing Authority Friday afternoon that ignored specific questions about the emails, but outlines a revised wage offer that includes a seven-per-cent increase over five years.
In the internal email thread, MacCrimmon said the union “has not demonstrated any willingness to return to the table in good faith, and despite being asked, has not made any proposals to the employer since conciliation.”
In his email to Nunatsiaq News Friday, Rochon said the union is ready to get back to the negotiating table.
“But we are still waiting on IHA,” he said. “They have never once made a fair offer.”
The strike enters its seventh week as of Saturday.
NHC releases a statement yesterday saying they have nothing to do with this. Nunatsiaq a day later says they are in the email thread.
Go NEU!
Nobody believes IHA. Nice to see them finally being pushed to comeback because of public discourse.
If you’ve been paying attention to ‘public discourse’ you must have noticed the Union is not garnering much support in this either. In fact it appears the use of ‘scabs’ doesn’t bother many people, some even think they are doing a better job and should be kept on. Granted, it is hard to quantify these kinds of things without a survey or poll.
Well the union seems to be present and willing to put in this work. The Union is definitely doing the right thing.
How can you say the Union is “doing the right thing” when they won’t even make their demands public? Why the veil of secrecy? Are they afraid the public won’t support them?
Last week on my way to work the union said what they were asking for. In this story near the bottom it also says what the union is asking for over the 5 years plus adjustments.
Well if anything this proves that the press release that NHC sent to everyone was lies again. They absolutely are involved. We all knew it!
Looks like they are following the GN playbook. Deny everything and when that doesn’t work, throw someone under the bus.
So they are worried about their image. They should be that concerned about the workers they locked out I hope they stop dragging their feet and work on a deal not their image because they can’t repair that
Maybe they arent worried about their workers because their workers don’t show up to work and when they are there, they are lazy. Just a thought.
My family is going to the picket line we want to.support the union and workers 1 day next week. So proud of them. We can probably just go or maybe we can ask them if we can come. Even our kids are talking about the signs and asking questions.
IHA and NHS going to accuse Nunatsiaq of lies too. Lol
It looks like NEU put out another contest to win a voucher for their members to comment on social media, LOL
Somebody needs to step in and stop the train wreck at NHC and IHA.
Systemic racism needs to be called out everyday.
Remember, the more this phrase is used to describe frivolous things, the more vacuous it appears.
I see an organization that needs to hire a spin doctor. If they are going to double down on this bull instead of saying we messed up, Nothing will ever change. No wonder they are so short staffed and they scramble with the management shuffle constantly.
So NHC says they are not involved but when caught have excuse why they are evolved. People know the truth. IHA isn’t even answering some of the questions from their own leaked emails
Get a deal. IHA get back to the table.
NHC will be coming out with a press release saying they have something to do with IHA when it suits them and their first press release was a lie. But this time they are telling the truth.
It was very unpleasant when a qaluna ( southerner ) not sure wut trade worker he moved into public housing unit just finished renovated should of been long time resident whose waiting just sharing wut I witnessed still is unpleasant .
Disinformation – the buzzword of time. Another phrase is “fair and reasonable”. I would not believe the NEU if they told me that we would have snow at Christmas. They have consistently told me what they thought I wanted to hear when I was part of that union. Both sides should agree on binding arbitration and stop trying to divide people publicly with half truths and misdirection.
There is no good side in this dispute, and virtually none in any of these organizations
Many of the staff at IHA are unproductive in their work. The typical worker gives 20% of his or her time for a full days pay. Additionally, an average worker misses many days of work without valid reason. Performance is unacceptable by any metric
Sadly, the staff at NEU, the union that is the bureaucracy behind the bureaucracy, are at best lazy, and more typically, incompetent and untrustworthy. Thete is nothing to admire about NEU during the past several decades.
NHC stall and management are no better than any other GN organization. In general the management and staff are seriously unqualified for their positions. Leadership is nonexistent, and has been so for decades, both at head office and in the district offices.
And now about GN.,,,,,
IHA, NEU, NHC, GN. Four rotten apples do not make a good pie
1.38 per year for 4 years is not that much different than what the GN workers received for the same time period. Here is what GN received:
Oct 1, 2018- 0%, Oct 1, 2019 – 1%, Oct 1, 2020 1.5%, Oct 1, 2021 – 1.5% and Oct 1, 2022 – 1.5%, Oct 1, 2023 – 3.5% for an average annual increase of 1.5%. And that is a total of 9% over 6 years.
And the trade helper, plumber and painter each want even more than that? How much more? Sounds like some self serving might be happening. Wonder if those three positions are key in leading this revolt against the employer?
Yes, but we also received extra paid days off. Increase to our NNA and a lump sum bonus. I think the union and GN will get a better deal next time. We really like the extra hunting days and extra D- day. My partner works for the GN too and we love the extra days off. Except 1 day we couldn’t get the same day off. The last deal wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t horrible and we saw movement where we don’t usually get any at all.
Great article NN, though I’d prefer if how the emails were obtained was more explicitly stated, I assume using an access request.
If that was an ATIPP then, Kudos to IHA for choosing to release these emails. Discussing contract negotiations on an email chain including your lawyer could almost certainly have been withheld.
To this day, the union refuses to make public their list of demands. There is only one reason for this: They are making unrealistic, wild demands.
Whoever leaked these emails needs to be fired immediately.
No sympathy for the union. No respect for their name-calling. This term “scab” is disgusting. They’re not “scabs”. They’re hard-working people who are actually showing up to work every day, and they do much higher-quality work than the HMS workers & labourers from the union.
fire all senior management …
so they dont want to give higher wages for an expensive place to live (mind you, helping keeping Nunavut apart of Canada) but they will pay higher wages for temp workers…
fire them all