CUPE seeks strike mandate in long-running city negotiations

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This article was published 29/06/2022 (909 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Winnipeg’s largest union is asking its members to vote for a strike mandate.

In a bargaining update, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500 officials say they can’t recommend the city’s latest proposed collective agreement.

“While the offer contains some improvements we could support, we are still miles apart on the issue of wages,” notes the statement, which was posted on the union’s website.

The union is now asking the 4,600 city employees it represents to vote for a strike mandate. If they do, the vote will give the union’s negotiating committee permission to set a strike date if further negotiations don’t resolve the labour dispute.

However, a vote in favour of the mandate wouldn’t guarantee a strike will take place.

Gord Delbridge, president of CUPE Local 500, told the Free Press the city’s latest offer is “just not acceptable,” as the cost of goods soars higher.

“There (are) many (city) positions that have sub-standard wages… People need to see a wage increase to maintain their standard of living. Everything from food, housing, gas has all gone up and people need to afford (these things) to be able to live,” Delbridge said Thursday.

In April, the union wrote an email to city council members that demanded immediate talks on raising wages for 311 staff, including some paid $14.11 per hour. At the time, Delbridge said low pay was preventing the city from hiring more 311 employees, who are desperately needed to reduce soaring wait times at the civic information service.

The wait for 311 calls surged to an average of 11 minutes, 42 seconds in 2021, up from 5:27 in 2020, while some residents have reported waits that exceed two hours.

The union leader declined to reveal the wage level the city is proposing, nor the raise CUPE would prefer, stating that information must first be shared with the workers themselves.

The union would prefer to reach a resolution through bargaining and avoid job action, since that would disrupt several city services, Delbridge stressed, noting CUPE represents staff in many different departments, including some who work at libraries and pools, along with others in the public works and water and waste divisions.

“There would most certainly be major disruption. Our main objective is to get a fair wage and not be on strike,” he said.

The union is frustrated it hasn’t yet managed to come to an agreement with the city, Delbridge said.

Negotiations started more than 18 months ago.

“That’s far too long (while) people are struggling in this current economy.”

CUPE members will vote on the strike mandate July 11 and 12.

In a statement, the city said more bargaining dates are scheduled in July.

“We are aware of CUPE’s intention to hold a strike mandate vote in the coming weeks. The city is committed to negotiating in a fair and reasonable manner with CUPE, and is hoping for a successful conclusion to collective bargaining,” it said.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga