Unalaska, AK – Half a dozen employees of North Pacific Fuel are on strike in Unalaska following an impasse in contract negotiations with the company.

The strike began at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and about half of North Pacific's employees in Unalaska are participating, picketing the company's various facilities on the island.

The General Teamsters' Anchorage-based Local 959, which is seeking to organize the North Pacific employees, is coordinating the strike. The union led a similar strike at North Pacific a year ago, which lasted two days.

Michael Jones, the director of transportation with the Teamsters in Anchorage, was on the picket line at North Pacific's Dutch Harbor office this afternoon. He said that no progress has been made with the company since the last strike, so this one could go much longer.

"The last time, we figured a week--we thought two days was long enough," Jones said. "This time, I don't think there is a time limit on this. This is a do-or-die strike for these guys. Twenty-seven months is a heck of a long time to sit out there [without a contract]."

Jones said that the sticking point is a union security clause in the company's contract. That clause would require all contracted North Pacific employees to join the union, something Jones said the company has resisted. North Pacific representatives involved in the negotiations didn't return calls for comment today. North Pacific employees picketing today also declined comment, referring questions to Jones.

Unionized city employees and members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have respected the picket line so far, but Jones said he doesn't hold anything against other local businesses that haven't.

"We're really just here trying to make the public aware," he said. "And if it costs North Pacific some time to do their business, maybe they'll listen to us a little closer."