CUPE 882 has told the City of Prince Albert that if there is no tentative agreement by September 11, they will walk off the job. (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

City Hall job action

Workers set deadline in contract dispute with City of Prince Albert

Aug 30, 2023 | 2:34 PM

If no tentative deal is in place by September 11, the inside workers for the City of Prince Albert will walk off the job.

CUPE Union 882 spokesperson Cara Stelmaschuk made the announcement Wednesday morning outside of city hall.

“The city seems to have no interest in bargaining with us,” she said. “In the last year and a half, we have only had eight days of face to face bargaining.”

For the last few weeks, the workers have been focusing on work-to-rule actions such as refusing to train anyone and not abiding by work dress codes.

The city has said multiple times that its offer of an 11 per cent increase over the next four years is all it can afford.

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Mayor Greg Dionne said that while the difference of one per cent between what the workers were asking for and the city’s offer will mean about $20 per paycheck for workers, taxpayers will end up with a significant tax increase.

Should the 59 full-time and many more part-time workers walk off the job, services at the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts, the Art Hauser Centre, city hall and the Frank Dunn pool will all be affected.

Walking off the job is not what the union wants; City of Prince Albert workers have never gone on strike in the city’s history.

“I want to conclude by emphasizing CUPE 882 doesn’t want to go on strike. We want to reach a deal at the table but our membership is strong, we are united and we are backed by the largest union in Canada,” said Stelmaschuk.

Two days ago, the union had a rally at city hall with CUPE national head Mark Hancock in attendance.

In a speech he promised Prince Albert workers the full support of the national body.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com