Union says Sask. mayor pushed picketing city workers with his truck

The union representing inside workers in Prince Albert released a video Thursday that it says shows Mayor Greg Dionne nudging two picketing members with his truck outside city hall.

CUPE 882 members rejected the city’s last offer following a vote on Tuesday, when CUPE says the footage was recorded.

The video shows a red Dodge Ram in front of a line of CUPE workers outside city hall, horn blaring. One worker moves out of the way and the truck moves forward, bumping into another worker and pushing them back about a step.

CUPE national representative Mira Lewis says the mayor’s actions create a challenging relationship with city workers.

“We are saddened and disappointed that Mayor Dionne felt the need to push through the picket line regardless of the safety of city workers in front of him. His actions further erode the relationship and clearly illustrates a lack of respect,” said Lewis.

The incident was reported to police, CUPE says.

A spokesperson for the City of Prince Albert would not confirm if it was the mayor's vehicle, and said it could not comment on the incident as it was now a police matter.

In a statement to CTV News, corporate services director Kiley Bear says that management continues to "deal with picketers blocking the picket line for extended periods of time."

"They continue to unlawfully block traffic at city hall and other facilities, including the EA Rawlinson Centre and Alfred Jenkins Field House," Bear said.

Bear says picketers were violating their own code of conduct by blocking the vehicles from entering or exiting the city hall parking lot for an undue length of time.

The union says it sent a delegation to city council this week with the aim of improving morale and relations with the city.

“Two days later, the city posted the personal cell phone number of [CUPE] regional director Ann Iwanchuk and directed the public to send complaints to her,” a CUPE news release said.

“Our members have faced months of verbal threats, bullying, and mean-spirited actions from the employer.”

CUPE 882 has been without a contract since December 2021, and on strike since Sept. 11.

The union had initiated an earlier vote on the agreement that was rejected this week, but that was halted and the ballots destroyed after the city told the negotiating team on voting day that it was planning on changing a number of positions, including moving some clerks into a call centre established during the strike.

The strike has affected services at City Hall, EA Rawlinson Centre, Frank Dunn Pool, Alfred Jenkins Field House and the Art Hauser Centre.