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City 'attacking' contract language: union

Dozens of city workers demonstrated outside of city hall before Monday's council meeting as pressure over a potential work stoppage mounts.
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City workers demonstrate outside of city hall prior to Monday's council meeting.

THUNDER BAY – Dozens of city workers demonstrated outside of city hall prior to Monday's council meeting as pressure mounts over a potential work stoppage.

One last collective bargaining meeting is scheduled for Oct. 31 between the city and the Canadian Union of Public Employees,the union representing 700 full time staff and 100 seasonal workers.

If that meeting fails to produce a contract, workers can legally strike or the city can lock them out at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 1. Union representatives said the city is attempting to roll back bargained gains from previous contracts.   

“They are attacking some of our collective agreement language,” said CUPE Local 78 president, Karen Martin.

Martin wouldn’t elaborate on the specific gaps that are holding back a deal but pointed out the existing agreement ended on Oct. 31, 2014, making this the longest municipal workers have been without a contract.

A two-day meeting was cut short after only a day earlier this month when talks broke down.

“We want a fair deal -- no more, no less,” Martin said. 

The contract impacts both indoor and outdoor services in revenue, provincial land tax, accounts payable, licensing and development services as well as roads, recreation, daycares, animal services, water and sewer.

The dispute comes amidst planning for a 2017 municipal budget that is deemed among the most difficult to balance in recent memory. Martin said her colleagues understand the pressure the city is under to deliver quality service for the tax revenue it receives.

“I’ve been working with (city manager) Norm (Gale) to help him with that stuff so we’ve been in contact quite a bit,” Martin said. 





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