Prince Albert city workers set date for possible strike
The union representing Prince Albert city workers has set a strike date.
The move comes after talks between the city and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) came to an impasse.
“The city’s offer would leave city workers with less purchasing power at a time when everything is getting more expensive,” president of CUPE 882 Tammy Vermette said in a news release issued on Thursday.
“Despite the rhetoric from the City of Prince Albert, this offer does not address the crushing cost-of-living and instead asks their workers to do more with less.”
The union says it could commence job action, potentially including a full withdrawal of services, as early as Aug. 10.
Last week, Prince Albert mayor Greg Dionne told CTV News the 11 per cent wage increase over four years that the city offered is higher than a settlement reached in Regina, and it strikes a balance between employee salaries and “managing taxpayer dollars effectively.”
The union is asking for a 12 per cent increase over four years and changes to vacation allocation, according to the city.
“This one per cent amounts to approximately $15 on average every two weeks for its members, but collectively the one per cent is a significant amount for the city that property taxpayers would be expected to cover on their tax bills next year,” the city said.
According to CUPE, the mayor and city councillors have seen a 20 per cent of compensation increase since 2016.
“The City of Prince Albert works because our members do. Asking them to accept increases below what Mayor and Council have given themselves is just not on,” vice-president of CUPE 882 Cara Stelmaschuk said in Thursday's news release.
The union represents city workers from different areas including administration, information technology, bylaw enforcement, building inspections, recreation, and arts. They have been without a contract since December 2021.
With files from Rory MacLean
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