Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Palak Mangat

TROUBLE ON THE LINE – The Yukon Employees’ Union says a man entered the trailer (seen above) used by striking staff of Many Rivers Counseling & Support Services on Thursday morning and began pulling cords out of the stereo system. The RCMP were summoned to the scene.

RCMP respond to incident on picket line

Whitehorse RCMP received and responded to a report of an incident Thursday morning involving some striking staff of Many Rivers Counseling & Support Services.

By Palak Mangat on November 9, 2018

Whitehorse RCMP received and responded to a report of an incident Thursday morning involving some striking staff of Many Rivers Counseling & Support Services.

The group began a strike last Friday afternoon. It said it was the subject of an incident involving at least one man who approached the picket line Thursday morning.

Posting to its Facebook page later Thursday, the Yukon Employees’ Union (YEU) laid out some of the alleged details.

Barb Fayant, a regional representative with the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the strike co-ordinator, spoke to the Star Thursday afternoon.

Early Thursday morning, as the team was preparing and setting up to head into its fourth day of picketing, Fayant said, she noted two men along the line exchanging words.

While she was not involved in the incident at first, she saw it from a distance and eventually approached them.

“I heard a commotion, so I came running over and intervened and said, ‘Excuse me, what’s going on?’” she said.

One of the men involved was Paul Johnston, the YEU’s vice-president. The identity of the other man could not be confirmed.

Steve Geick, the president of the YEU, said later that this man stormed onto the line complaining about the noise and the loud music.

He made his way into the group’s trailer and began pulling cords out of the group’s stereo system, Geick said.

That eventually led to a confrontation between Fayant, the man and Johnston, among others.

“We are disgusted and shocked by this kind of behaviour,” the YEU wrote on its social media page, insisting that the Many Rivers staff have been respectful in their strike action.

While they were speaking to the Star, a nearby worker in the area dropped by the tent on Fourth Avenue and Hawkins Street, requesting the music be turned down a bit, in particular the base.

Both Geick and Fayant said such requests and complaints about noise levels have been common over the last four days.

“When we get a complaint, we try and turn it down,” Geick said. “You can’t control who honks their horns.”

The group as a whole tries its best to accommodate such requests, he added

“This is a peaceful, legal picket line,” he said. “We are trying to make it stay that way.”

Fayant added that “all this happened real quick, within an hour – maybe an hour and a half.”

In a statement to the Star Thursday afternoon, RCMP spokesperson Coralee Reid confirmed police had responded to the incident.

“The RCMP respects all Canadians’ right to peaceful, lawful protests and demonstrations,” the statement read in part.

“As the police, our role and objective is to maintain public safety, and we ask all those with an interest in the job action to support us in our efforts to do so.”

As of Thursday afternoon, the RCMP had not laid any charges in relation to the incident.

As of press time this afternoon, on its Facebook page, the YEU was identifying the man it believes was involved in Thursday’s events.

Many Rivers has not responded to the Star’s requests for comment on the strike, whose issues include wages and hours of work.

Comments (23)

Up 21 Down 1

Paul on Nov 15, 2018 at 4:21 pm

I don't have a horse in this race, but I as I was turning right onto 4th, in front of Many Rivers, one of the protesters was staring at the sky, looking lost in the music and paying zero attention. She walked out, backwards, into the road and I had to hit my brakes to avoid her. I had kids in the car. Maybe they could protest a little more responsibly? Less bumpin' music and wandering into traffic please.

Up 10 Down 12

To Joseum Wales... on Nov 14, 2018 at 9:03 pm

Agree whole heartedly about the very criminal acts that you mentioned being policed by neighbourhoods. But...impaired, ripping on loud motorbikes, dealing drugs....you really put these activities in the same category as music that is too loud? All he had to do was lodge a complaint, not be an arrogant so and so and rip out their wires. Lucky there wasn't a major fight after that.

Up 16 Down 6

Joseum Wales on Nov 14, 2018 at 2:58 pm

I think you should be able to take the law into your own hands.
You see an impaired driver, follow them home and take their keys away.

Some idiot wakes you up at 2am revving a trail bike. Join forces with your neighbour and make it know it's a no no.
Someone who continually sells drugs in a house down the street, park all the neighbourhood cars in their driveway and in front of their house and call the RCMP.

You see someone breaking into homes, block their car and call police.

Up 10 Down 15

Can't take law into your own hands...even if you want to on Nov 13, 2018 at 5:31 pm

Can't take the law into your own hands--we live in a civilized society with rules. If the 'he who shall not be named' wanted the music down, he should have gotten the bylaw involved--obviously he has no time for union picket lines so felt he could do whatever he wanted to stop their noise.

Up 47 Down 5

BK on Nov 13, 2018 at 4:29 pm

These picketers are way out of line. They are not listening to the civilized complaints from people in the neighborhood. One of them actually thought it okay to track me down and request that I move my vehicle out of the 2 hour parking zone in front of Many Rivers. I explained that, no, I was legally parked and would be gone within the 2 hour limit. Still they hounded me. I kept my cool, is the only difference between myself and the fellow who pulled the plugs on them. Very ironic that they are in the "helping" sector as previously pointed out in a comment. They are showing complete lack of respect.

Up 20 Down 5

Darrell Drugstore's smartest neighbour on Nov 13, 2018 at 10:10 am

Anybody in the 3 blocks away police station hear the noise and bother to do something about it ?
Be proacactive you say ?
NEVER in WH cop world !

Up 32 Down 7

June on Nov 13, 2018 at 9:30 am

Although I am not in the area to witness the picket line, it seems to me that if the noise generated was louder than acceptable levels the police should have addressed that. Society cannot tolerate private vendettas and strong-arm tactics, Canadians should expect more from their past and current elected officials.

Up 20 Down 8

Noseum Tales on Nov 12, 2018 at 6:07 pm

@ Joseum Wales - Served the public so he gets a pass... Wow! Absolutely not! As a public servant you have an absolute obligation to be on your best behaviour at all times.

Civil service has high rates of bullying, mobbing and physical violence from the public and from colleagues - lateral violence is a huge issue.
And... By the way in this day and age we need to be mindful of gender - the term would be “warlock hunt”.
Giving civil servants a pass because of their public service would only make a bad problem worse - entitlement and privilege needs to eradicated.

Up 36 Down 7

Philip on Nov 12, 2018 at 3:24 pm

@YT - Does the Harley driver park in the street in front of your house from 8:30 am until 5 pm every weekday revving the engine at full throttle constantly for 8 hours? I think you should give the issue a little more thought...

Up 13 Down 28

Yt on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:48 am

So, does this mean I can accost those annoying Harley's with strait pipes that seem to love roaring around our neighbourhoods? I mean, it's all about excessive noise, right?

Up 22 Down 7

Groucho d'North on Nov 11, 2018 at 2:18 pm

I hope this protagonist was well paid for vaulting this ho-hum story onto the front page. The union wanted attention - they got it. Perhaps his NDP inner core was stretching out a bit.

Up 42 Down 23

Joseum Wales on Nov 10, 2018 at 5:42 pm

If this goes to court which I believe is unwarranted, I hope he shares his experience of being woken up and having to deal with noise pollution which is a health issue.

It's an insult for someone who served the public to be hounded because of a little frustration and pushing someone. It's a witch hunt. It seems like the Many Rivers crew wants to demonize this man when there are 2 sides to the story.

If people kept saying the music was too loud after they continually turned it down then they simply did not address people's concerns.

Up 18 Down 8

BnR on Nov 10, 2018 at 5:14 pm

Steven, re. your comments about "elitist bulls**t" etc.
Please read the article prior to commenting. "As of press time this afternoon, on its Facebook page, the YEU was identifying the man it believes was involved in Thursday’s events."
There was no official notification as of press time, only an unverified FB posting.
That's just responsible reporting.

Up 56 Down 8

drum on Nov 10, 2018 at 4:22 pm

These people are supposed to be sensitive to peoples needs - understanding and compassionate - how much respect do they have for their clients when the counselors blast their neighbors on 4th Avenue with relentless music - they were showing no respect to fellow workers in businesses in the area or residents for blocks in the area.

Up 51 Down 8

drum on Nov 10, 2018 at 4:16 pm

Where is By-Law? Noise pollution. I know people who live in the area and people who run businesses in the area. They said it was unbearable - the music blasting all day and horns honking. I can understand people reaching their saturation point - when enough is enough. No need for music blasting so loud that it travelled for blocks in every direction.

Up 31 Down 6

Joseum Wales on Nov 10, 2018 at 3:00 pm

I want to see the facts, the true facts, before I pass judgement on the unnamed man.

Up 77 Down 10

ProScience Greenie on Nov 10, 2018 at 10:46 am

Non-stop honking, music blasting away and the picketers getting way too close to traffic is crossing the line. That the picketers can't see that as a problem says a lot.

Up 27 Down 50

Jacko on Nov 10, 2018 at 10:21 am

We all know who it was. We all know, that was OUR Trumptonian era. Have him charged. Uttering threats and violence aimed at anyone, has a criminal consequence. No one should ever believe they are above anyone else. That is how I felt, every time I dealt with Him.

Up 20 Down 45

CJ on Nov 10, 2018 at 10:20 am

Aren't those condos soundproofed, though? It's recent construction and they're downtown. Utility trucks (waste pickup and so on), snowplows, sirens -- it raises doubts it was just about "music".

Up 29 Down 31

Josey Wales on Nov 9, 2018 at 9:43 pm

Yes I too could see how it may upset folks nearby.
Really could break the zen of the regular sirens, from the hospital, the M detachment and all the staggering zombies that often orbit in the core.

If you were all strung out and not slept in awhile, felt super important like and entitled to do as reported...you get what we have here today.
That’s the way he wants it, that is the way he gets it... Some men you just cannot reach.

Trains make a lot of noise, he wanted a rail link to AK.
Prisons are noisy, did he forget?....oh yeah about that...
Guess he needed a taller ivory tower, further away from the mere peasants?

Yes I had to wade into this...I cannot help myself.

Up 33 Down 25

Steven on Nov 9, 2018 at 9:35 pm

Why won't any news outlet name him??? CBC, Yukon News, Whitehorse Star....... nothing, even though WE ALL SAW THE FACEBOOK POST.
What kind of elitist bullshit is this? You want to know why people don't trust the news....? THIS IS WHY.

Up 66 Down 11

Dave on Nov 9, 2018 at 5:24 pm

I haven’t been around the area but it sounds like these strikers with YEUs support are generating excessive noise levels/ pollution with little or no regard for others in the area. If it’s a sound system that had wires to be pulled it obviously isn’t just a stereo but more like a commercial sound system. There’s a big difference between a car occasionally honking to show support for strikers and a deep bass woofer thumping away in the neighbourhood.
Maybe if the strikers are irritating people in the neighbourhood so badly they should show some consideration and rethink their volume level.

Up 84 Down 27

Joseum Wales on Nov 9, 2018 at 3:54 pm

If you live nearby and like to sleep in late in the morning I can see how the noise may be disruptive.

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