Inside workers for the City of Prince Albert have asked the province for a special mediator. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

Strike at City Hall

Striking City of P.A. workers ask province for special mediator

Sep 13, 2023 | 12:14 PM

Inside workers for the City of Prince Albert who walked off the job on Monday are asking the province to appoint a special mediator to settle their contract dispute with the city.

CUPE 882 and city hall are one per cent apart when it comes to wage increases but the city has said its offer is fair and won’t make further adjustments.

“The union is of the belief that an impartial third party experienced in labour relations, negotiations, and mediation will be able to bring the parties to a resolve,” said Mira Lewis, CUPE National Representative, in a news release.

Workers have been asking for 12 per cent over a four-year span while the city is offering 11.

Mayor Greg Dionne has said repeatedly the offer is better than what a large number of other unions have settled for, such as seven per cent in some education negotiations and a 6.7 per cent increase in Regina.

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Inside workers have been without a contract since the end of 2021, with negotiations starting last December.

In that time, the union says there have been eight face-to-face meetings, some lasting about an hour.

Only two of the meetings involved wages.

A week ago, the city gave the union a costing, which resulted in the union forwarding a new offer to settle.

The city turned it down and refused to return to the bargaining table.

Union representatives say the cost is about $50,000 but the city has previously taken the stance that if the union representing its outside workers insists on the same increase, the total cost will lead to a two or three mill rate increase.

At the end of August, council approved an 11 per cent increase for all non-union staff.

Full job action started on September 11 and services inside city hall, at the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts, Frank Dunn Pool, Alfred Jenkins Field House and the Art Hauser Centre have been impacted to some extent.

The City said that when all of the union’s requests are totalled, the ask is closer to 14 per cent, considering the union also wants more vacation time, improved benefit coverage and increased duty pay.

Management has been given a global mandate of 11.5 per cent and says a special mediator is not gong to resolve the difference.

“We’ve already been through the mediation/conciliation process,” said Bear. “We cannot consider a proposal that comes at more cost to the taxpayer, but we can discuss priorities within the 11.5 per cent. We do not require a mediator to have that discussion.”

The provincial Ministry of Labour Relations says it prefers that the city and its employees come to an agreement on their own.

“Our government believes that the best agreements are those that are reached by both parties working together at the bargaining table. We would encourage both parties to return to the bargaining table to reach an agreement,” said the ministry in an e-mailed response, adding that as they have just received the request for a special mediator, it is too early to comment.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com