City speaks to union criticisms in current strike action
By City of Castlegar
PUBLIC NOTICE RE CUPE STRIKE (issued by the City of Castlegar):
The City wishes to advise Castlegar residents City facilities will remain open and City non-union staff will endeavor to provide prompt service to residents, businesses and visitors during the current labour strike. Your understanding and patience is appreciated. Please check our website regularly for public service and bargaining updates.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
The City has bargained in good faith for over a year and a half in over a dozen bargaining sessions and twice with an independent Mediator as requested by the Union. The City accepted fair and respectful recommendations from the mediator of a 6.14% wage increase over 4 years, no concessions and superior benefi ts in the municipal sector. The City agreed to this fair and reasonable proposal but the Union rejected it and proceeded to strike action.
UNION WANTS MORE
Unions says they want job security.
A job at the City of Castlegar is one of the most secure jobs around. We haven’t laid off a regular full-time employee in over twenty years.
Union says the City is undermining the Union’s ability to represent their members.
The City has offered to pay up to ten hours a month for union stewards to investigate possible grievances. The union wants the City to pay for unlimited union investigations. The City says the Union can investigate beyond
the ten hours a month but on their dime. This is in line with limits set at neighbouring municipalities.
Union says it is concerned with management doing bargaining unit work.
Management does not seek to do bargaining unit work, since it is not economical or practical to use higher paid managers to do unionized work. The City agreed to the mediator reading a binding commitment from management into the bargaining record that no unionized employee would lose an hour of regular work to management.
NON-STRIKE RELATED COMPLAINTS
Contracting out
FACT: The Union did not raise this issue at any point during bargaining and therefore this issue will not be affected by the outcome of this strike.
Too many managers.
FACT: The union did not raise this issue at any point during bargaining and therefore this issue will not be affected by the outcome of this strike. The City’s total staff is a third less than Trail and about half the size of Nelson.
GET THE FACTS www.castlegar.ca/strike
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