In the wake of 96 per cent of Coldstream municipal workers voting in favour of strike action, the District of Coldstream said it disagrees that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 626 has been presented with unacceptable terms at the bargaining table.
CUPE Local 626 president Bryce de Dood said talks broke down in August when the district sought a wage settlement that was both lower than the provincial average and surrounding municipalities.
“Just like many residents across the Okanagan, our members are struggling with affordability challenges due to rising housing and other living costs,” de Dood said. “The employer’s proposal would lock us into an agreement that lowers our wages relative to other municipalities and our members cannot afford to move backwards.”
READ MORE: Coldstream municipal workers vote in favour of strike
But the district said it brought forward proposals providing average wage increases that are equal or greater than recently negotiated deals in other local governments across the Okanagan Valley.
The union has applied for a mediator from the BC Labour Relations Board in the hopes of resolving the dispute before taking action that would disrupt community services but dates for mediation have yet to be scheduled.
“The District of Coldstream looks forward to reaching a settlement of the collective agreement with the assistance of a Labour Board mediator,” the official statement reads.
“We remain hopeful that a resolution can be found at the bargaining table given that we are simply seeking parity with wage increases granted to other municipal workers across the region,” de Dood said.
CUPE is Canada’s largest union and represents more than 680,000 workers across Canada and 97,000 in B.C.
CUPE represents many frontline service staff, finance and accounting professionals, RCMP clerks, utility and equipment operators, parks workers, planning technicians, mechanics and other tradespeople.
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