Hello, my name is Maurice Zoe. I have lived in the Northwest Territories all my life. I'm a Tlicho citizen of Behchoko, or Fort Rae, which is the largest aboriginal group in the north. I have been employed at Ekati as the aboriginal site coordinator and recreation officer since 1997.
I am pleased and honoured to be here to share my views on how the aboriginals and the aboriginal community were affected by the strike and the union activity that occurred at the Ekati Diamond Mine last year.
Many of our people were not looking for or expecting a strike, which they never voted for. When it did happen, negative effects rippled through the communities and many lives were affected. High unemployment in the community meant no alternative work and no income. Frustrations and challenges of not being able to work caused disruption to family and band unity. Parents, grandparents, and extended families were affected mentally and emotionally. There was evidence of increased bootlegging of alcohol and drug trafficking because people were stressed.
The chiefs and aboriginal leadership felt that they should stay neutral through the strike, but many of our people decided to return to work rather than stay at home, even though threatened with fines and blacklisting by the union. They wanted to keep their incomes and avoid the bad impacts on themselves, their families, and their community.
The union did not appear to understand how the aboriginal communities function. Labour unions are not part of our communities or our leadership. In this case, they imposed a significant burden on our people by forcing a strike, but at least we had the opportunity to make up our own minds and return to work.
The needs and beliefs of our communities take priority, not what the union wants, especially when the union put our negotiated rights to preferential employment and business contracts at the mine at risk by seeking seniority and no-contracting-out clauses.
Legislation that puts more power in the hands of the unions will take it away from our people and our leadership. We will lose promised jobs and contracts and the right to decide for ourselves what to do. We don't want to be in a situation where going back to work means breaking the law.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my views.