Prince Albert city staff strike possibly in the cards after negotiations reach impasse | 24CA News
Prince Albert, Sask., metropolis employees say they’ve reached an deadlock with town and are doubtlessly set to strike.
The municipal employees stated they’re getting ready for job motion, which might embody a full withdrawal of companies as early as Aug. 10.
“The city’s offer would leave city workers with less purchasing power at a time when everything is getting more expensive,” stated Tammy Vermette, president of CUPE 882.
“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 claims that metropolis employees have accepted charges that haven’t saved tempo with the speed of inflation, however that the mayor and council have seen their compensation improve by 20 per cent between 2016 and 2021.
“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,” stated Cara Stelmaschuk, vice-president of CUPE 882.
“The City of Prince Albert needs to shelve the excuses and make an offer that addresses the crushing cost-of-living.”
Stelmaschuk stated the bargaining began fairly some time in the past and was going effectively.
“A lot of the contract was just getting cleaned up and that was going quite amiably, and then we get to the monetary discussions and that’s kind of where it really changed tone quite a bit.”
She stated the primary dialogue was met with a package deal, with the bargaining workforce being instructed that was town’s closing provide, with no additional dialogue.
Stelmaschuk stated no one expects these discussions to run easily, noting there’s all the time going to be a give and take, however stated they’ve had a fairly good relationship with town administration.
“We kind of expected it to maybe be a little bit tense, but not contentious.”
She stated makes an attempt to barter have been turned down, and he or she was shocked by how rapidly they received shut down.
“We really do just want to keep talking.”
She stated there have been 59 full-time everlasting staff, however lots of the packages within the metropolis herald informal and part-time staff, which she guessed introduced the variety of CUPE 882 staff to someplace round 160 individuals.
Stelmaschuk stated she hopes cooler heads prevail, however stated she doesn’t know what’s going to occur, noting every thing up thus far has been a shock.
Global News has reached out to the City of Prince Albert for remark.
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