THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay’s city council voted unanimously Monday to approve a memorandum of settlement with about 600 workers across a variety of departments.
Workers represented by CUPE Local 87 had voted overwhelmingly for a strike mandate earlier this month, had talks stalled.
The union had been critical of the city for allegedly seeking cuts to benefits at a time when it said the pandemic had made its members more vulnerable than ever.
“We’ve only had a few days of talks with our employer to date,” said Dana Vacek, president of Local 87, earlier this month. “But they seem determined to provoke conflict. They are seeking cuts to our modest benefits plan, and coming after a number of basic collective agreement rights.”
A provincially appointed conciliator recently oversaw talks between the parties.
CUPE 87 represents workers in childcare, building inspectors, administrative workers, roads and parks employees, water and waste water staff, waste collectors and snow-plow operators.
