Plain Language Summary
December 5, 2008
Summary of the Government of the Northwest Territories Opening Proposal
for Collective Bargaining with the Union of Northern Workers
The Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories has identified a series of strategic objectives for this government. Employees are the engine that delivers the programs and services that allow the government to achieve its strategic goals.
Collective bargaining between the GNWT and the Union of Northern Workers is being undertaken during challenging economic times. We need to find a balance between investing in our public service and being financially responsible. The GNWT understands that it needs to remain competitive in employee pay and benefits, and look for ways to improve work-life balance and safety. At the same time, we must find ways to become more efficient.
Overall Goal
Our overall goal is to maintain an efficient, effective, and sustainable public service. To do this we need to:
- Invest in employees by remaining competitive in employee benefits
- Balance investment with financial responsibility
- Improve fairness and equity for all GNWT employees
- Clarify and simplify rules to reduce confusion and misunderstandings.
GNWT proposals fall into four key areas:
1. Clarify language
- Clarify contract language to make it easier for everyone to understand and reduce confusion and misunderstandings for both employees and managers.
2. Improving administration
Make administration of the agreement simpler, including:
- Providing a lump sum payment on Ultimate Removal, for employees who are leaving their community, with the employee deciding how the funds will be spent
- Allowing flexible time to have employees attend community meetings or events without overtime by adjusting that work day
- Clarifying how the Affirmative Action policy is applied when individuals are being laid off
- Clarify rules around Relief workers, including expanding their use to other operations
3. Simplifying Leave
- Prorating all leave earned based on hours of work
- Simplify rules around special leave and introduce discretionary days that can be used in any situation
- Retain special leave for death or illness in immediate family (including caring for sick dependents).
4. Improving Competitiveness, Recruitment and Development
- Eliminate the inequality between new hires and promotions in terms of what starting salary can be offered (currently new hires can receive a higher starting wage than existing employees who are promoted)
- Expand the reasons for Short Term Training Leave, and provide more options that reduce costs and allow more individuals to access the program
- Increase compensation to Apprentices and Trainees
- Introduce the concept of “Underfills” to allow the GNWT to temporarily place at a lower salary individuals who do not yet meet the full job requirements, but can with training, experience and development
- Expand the Professional Development Fund at Aurora College to cover more staff, meet today’s needs and use updated technology, including on-line learning.
More Summary Items
Future proposals will contain further items on improving competitiveness, including negotiating new rates of compensation and reviewing Northern Allowance rates.
Some of the proposed changes reduce the need for overtime or reduce overtime payable. This is part of using resources more effectively as well as finding ways to reduce the overtime burden on employees. Options to reduce overtime, improve work-life balance and safety are important areas of discussion for the GNWT. At the same time the employer needs the flexibility to get the work done when it needs to be done, while paying the most appropriate rates.
We believe we can reach a new collective agreement that meets everyone’s goals, including more competitive compensation, equity in leave and a simplified agreement that everyone can understand.
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