More than 20 workers at the Yukon Energy Corp. are publicly demanding that Premier Dennis Fentie reveal his plans for the public utility, after half its board quit last week.

In a letter to the editor emailed to Yukon media Thursday afternoon, the concerned employees said they fear the resignations may signal Fentie's intentions to sell the utility.

"The secretive manner in which he is dealing with this issue is unacceptable to us," the letter reads in part.

"The premier has an obligation to be open and honest about his plans not only with those directly affected (in this case the Yukon Energy staff) but with all Yukoners, who are the owners of Yukon Energy."

In the letter, the workers said they were "dismayed" with the mass resignations of chairman Willard Phelps and three other board members from Yukon Development Corp., the Crown corporation that owns Yukon Energy.

Government interference alleged

In resigning, Phelps cited the territorial government's interference in the board's operations, which are supposed to be arm's-length from government.

The concerned employees planned to meet Thursday afternoon with Phelps and with the Yukon Employees Union, which represents them.

In a June 11 interview with CBC News, Fentie said he has no plans to privatize Yukon Energy or its assets. However, he said talks are ongoing with ATCO, the Alberta-based company that owns Yukon Electrical Company Ltd., to "rationalize" it and Yukon Energy.

"Yukon Energy is at one of the most crucial times in its existence…. Yet it appears Fentie has chosen this time to try to dismantle the corporation and hand it over to a private company from Alberta," the employees' letter reads.

"Why, we don't know. He hasn't given us any explanations. But readers should understand that if he moves forward with his plan, Yukoners will be the poorer for it."

'Secret agenda for privatization'

Both the Yukon Employees Union and opposition politicians say they haven't been able to get much information from Fentie, either.

"We're getting nothing back out of government," union president Laurie Butterworth told CBC News Thursday.

"How dare you sell something that's owned by all of us?"

Liberal Opposition Leader Arthur Mitchell applauded the workers for challenging the premier on the issue.

"The employees should be worried because it's clear that Dennis Fentie has a secret agenda for privatization, and he's not being straightforward with Yukoners on this. That's quite clear, considering the resignation of the board members," Mitchell said.

"The employees are showing a lot of courage in doing this, because we've all seen that it's not easy to go public with these kind of concerns in Yukon. This government retaliates. So it's not an easy thing to do."

'No initiative' to privatize: Fentie

In Dawson City, where Fentie is meeting with western and northern premiers Thursday and Friday, he told reporters there is "misinformation" floating around about Yukon Energy, but said there is nothing for people to be worried about.

"There is absolutely no initiative or process to privatize the energy corporation in the Yukon," Fentie said.

"There never has been, there is not at this time, nor under this government's watch will there be any privatization of our utility."

When asked if he would meet with concerned Yukon Energy employees, Fentie said meeting with employees is standard government practice.

NDP Leader Todd Hardy called a public meeting for Monday to talk about Yukon Energy. He has invited Fentie to the event, issuing a challenge to the premier to debate the issue publicly.