The Union of Northern Workers (UNW) was set to host its triennial convention this year but that now won't happen due to COVID-19.
The UNW announced on Monday that the convention, which was scheduled to happen in Yellowknife this coming October, will now happen in 2021, the dates of which have yet to be announced. According to a release from the UNW, the postponement is due to uncertainty around the pandemic and restrictions on large gatherings.
The GNWT announced on Tuesday that restrictions on indoor gatherings would remain in place until there is a vaccine or some sort of treatment for the virus.
The decision comes following the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) passing a resolution postponing its own national and regional conventions by one year with its national convention now happening in 2022 as opposed to 2021. The PSAC North convention has also been re-scheduled to May 2021.
Even with the UNW convention re-scheduled, the union stated that all delegate elections for the convention which have happened will stand and do not to be re-done. The terms for all UNW executive positions, including those of president Todd Parsons and all vice-presidents, have been extended for one year and will come to term when the re-scheduled convention happens.
The union also stated that the elections for regional vice-presidents have already begun and those results will stand. Those who win their elections will start their terms in 2021.
As for the annual general meetings of locals, they will be held in October and November as per UNW by-laws, the union said, but the status of those meetings is dependent on any health and safety restrictions on group gatherings or meetings.