CUPE 2262

The City of Castlegar has finally ratified a new collective agreement with its civic workers – members of CUPE Local 2262.  CUPE members found out through local media that the mayor and council had voted to ratify the deal this morning, nine days after the union voted overwhelmingly to accept the collective agreement.

Today’s vote by Council ends the first Castlegar civic strike in 60 years. City workers were out on full strike since Nov. 8 before the City agreed to return to the bargaining table on Dec. 22. A tentative agreement was reached after two days of mediated talks.

The ratification vote delay by the City left 35 city workers on picket lines for more than a week. While it appears the vote could have been taken right away, Mayor Lawrence Chernoff chose to postpone the ratification until City Councillors finished their Christmas holidays.

The City has yet to announce details of the return-to-work timetable, but earlier agreed in writing that employees will be at or scheduled for work no later than Monday, Jan. 5.

CUPE Local 2262 President Leford Lafayette says union members are looking forward to getting back to work keeping Castlegar city services running safely and smoothly.

The new six-year agreement is retroactive to February 2013 and includes a 35 cent-per-hour increase for the first year followed by annual wage increases of 1.5 per cent in each of the next two years and two per cent a year in the final three years of the deal.

The agreement also includes language improvements to optical care, meal allowances and extended health. Letters of agreement address employer-paid time for grievance investigation and a clearer definition of exempt staff and bargaining unit work.

As well, the two parties have agreed to take action on outstanding grievances and participation in a BC Labour Relations Board sponsored relationship enhancement program.

CUPE 2262 members do a wide range of jobs including keeping roads and sidewalks clear, maintaining public parks and outdoor rinks, the water treatment plant and services for the public at city hall.

Contact:

Leford Lafayette, CUPE 2262 President:  250-608-9983 Murray Bush, CUPE National Communications Representative:  778-554-2234

The message was loud and clear at Friday’s support rally for striking Castlegar workers – you are NOT alone.

The 34 members of CUPE 2262 have been on the picket lines for more than a month and legally on strike since August. The city so far refuses to return to the bargaining table.

The local and the United Steelworkers Local 480 co-hosted a rally outside city hall. Close to 100 people turned up in the middle of the day to pledge their continued support.

Union after union called for the mayor and council to return to the bargaining table to settle the first Castlegar city strike in 60 years.

CUPE National Servicing Representative Lori Sutherland told the crowd it’s “not acceptable that we are out on the picket line for more than five weeks. We need to get back to the table to work out the last couple of outstanding issues.”

United Steelworkers Local 480 president Armindo deMedeiros told a cheering crowd, “In Castlegar they promote respectful workplaces and then they turn around and put the union in a position where they have to take strike action. I say shame, shame on you.”

Local media reported that Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff refused to comment, saying only that demonstrations of support for the striking workers ‘isn’t helping the situation.’

City workers, members of CUPE Local 2262, are holding a noon hour rally today outside city hall.  The event is a show of support from other unions and the community for the workers who have been on the picket line for more than a month.

CUPE Local 2262 president Leford Lafayette says it’s difficult to convey what the support of fellow unions like the Steelworkers and community members means to those 34 civic workers on strike.

“Every time you honk your horn, stop by for a chat or drop off donations it strengthens our resolve to get a fair and reasonable contract,” he says.

So far the City has ignored union calls to return to the bargaining table, rejecting CUPE attempts to settle the first civic strike in Castlegar’s history.

“We believe,” says Leford, “that the responsibility of our elected officials – the mayor and council – includes fair treatment for Castlegar public workers. We believe that the mayor and council needs to show some leadership and take us up on our invitation to settle this dispute.  ” Leford adds that city officials “were elected on a platform of best serving the community – and that means ensuring that the qualified professional city workers are on the job keeping our streets and community clean and safe. “

What: Support Rally for Striking Civic Workers
When: 12 Noon, Dec. 12
Where: Outside Castlegar City Hall

Civic workers out on strike for a month say morale remains strong, despite the City’s refusal so far to restart talks.

The first-ever walkout by 34 members of CUPE Local 2262 has picket lines in place at Castlegar City Hall, the treatment plant, public works yard and rink.   “We continue to reach out to the City to get back to the bargaining table,” says CUPE 2262 strike committee member Brad Ashton, adding that “the community has been very supportive and recognizes the need for city workers to stand up to the City on the outstanding issues of employee representation and job security.”

The union has been trying to get the City back to the bargaining table to reach a new agreement to replace the contract that expired in February 2013.

City Hall payroll clerk Jo Petit is a case in point. She says that after a month on the line, “we’re frustrated by the city’s refusal to talk, but we’re encouraged by the amount of community support.  We get out there and people are honking and waving. We talk to people coming to City Hall and most respect our picket line – I think the secret to keeping our morale up is that we stay positive and we don’t bash, even though we have been frustrated by much of the misinformation put out by the city.  ”

Petit adds that being on the line gives city workers a chance “to discuss our issues with people and remind them that we want to be back at work, especially at this time of year.”

Roads and Parks foreman Al Cawte agrees saying, “morale has been buoyed by tonnes of public support, not just in honks and waves but in friends and neighbours actually coming down to the picket lines and bringing us baked goods, coffee, soup – even firewood.” Other unions have also pitched in with donations and the Carpenters’ Union even built us a warming hut.

Public support is key, says Cawte, “because we are a public-driven workforce.  It lets us know we are on the right track, even though we want to be back at work doing the jobs we are trained to do and providing the public with the levels of service they are accustomed to.”

“What has to happen, I think, is that City Council has to realize that we need to be at the bargaining table to hammer out a deal – and that continued discussion could find us a solution.” The faster we can focus on productive talks and get back to work, the faster we can start working through our issues and repairing the relationship.”

Cawte has been working for the city for close to 25 years and says he never thought there would have to be a strike.  “In the past we always managed to find enough common ground to settle – this time there was no last-minute deal.”

CUPE Local 2262 has ratified a new three-year agreement with the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK).  The no-concessions deal includes wage increases of 1.5%, 1.4% and 1.5% respectively. Included in the collective agreement are improvements to employee definition language and increases to clothing and optical allowances.

The new agreement expires on Feb. 28, 2015 and must still be ratified by the Regional District. The sub local of CUPE 2262 covers about 40 District employers at arenas, the aquatic centre and landfills. The union members include lifeguards, landfill attendants, maintenance, custodial and customer service representatives.

CUPE 2262 President Leford Lafayette said the bargaining was respectful and productive. The two sides met only three times to reach the agreement.  “This follows on the heels of the agreement we reached in the summer with the Castlegar Golf Course – a tough round of bargaining that still resulted in a negotiated, no-concessions collective agreement,” said Lafayette.

We all love Winterfest and your Castlegar city workers know that it’s an important annual community event.

Unfortunately, the unresolved labour dispute with the City of Castlegar would put the usual ceremony behind a legal picket line.  Given this, CUPE Local 2262 is looking at options to see if we can help to find a way for the event to go ahead.

“CUPE is hopeful that we can find something that works so that Castlegar families – including our own – can get together during this holiday season to celebrate and honour our commitment to community,” said Leford Lafayette, CUPE 2262 president.  “Our picket lines are up at public facilities because we want to be at the table talking – we want a fair and reasonable contract – but so far City has refused to re-engage with us,” he added.

Lafayette is encouraging all concerned citizens to let the Mayor and Council know that they support a return to fair bargaining and an end to this first-ever strike.  “We hope that the City will take this opportunity to respond in kind with an offer to talk, “he explained.

With the ongoing labour dispute and the City’s refusal to bargain, CUPE city workers will be maintaining picket lines during Winterfest, including the planned tree lighting on December 5.

CUPE 2262 president Leford Lafayette said that members regret that they find themselves in a situation where they are unable to support an event that they and their families enjoy every year.

“We know that each year families gather at City Hall and downtown Castlegar with friends and neighbours, to enjoy an evening of holiday spirit and the tree lighting event. But our attempts to solve this labour dispute have been rebuffed. Given this, we feel we have no choice but to hold the lines,” said Lafayette.

Castlegar City workers are asking the public to respect legal picket lines and to let the new council know that residents support a return to the bargaining table and a fair end to the strike.

CUPE 2262 represents 34 members who work for the City of Castlegar. The current agreement expired in February 2013. The union began a full strike on November 8, 2014. Picket lines are in place at the following CUPE 2262 worksites: City Hall, the Public Works Yard on Minto Road, and the outdoor ice rinks at Kinnaird Park.

CUPE 2262 members who work for the City of Castlegar have issued 72-hour strike notice of a full withdrawal of service.

CUPE 2262 president Leford Lafayette said that following Monday night’s presentation to city council, it is clear that elected officials are not focused on getting back to the bargaining table and reaching a fair deal with city workers.

“We do not want to be in a position to take full-scale strike action, with disruption for residents and local businesses. But given the lack of response by our current mayor and council, we don’t feel like we have other options,” said Lafayette.

Effective Saturday, November 8 picket lines will be up at city work sites and CUPE members will be off the job.

Key outstanding issues include job security and serious concessions that would undercut CUPE’s ability to properly represent members when disputes arise.  The union has also raised concerns about the City hiring more managers and contracting out services

CUPE 2262 represents 34 members who work for the City of Castlegar. The current agreement expired in February 2013.  No bargaining has taken place since a second round of mediated talks failed to find a resolution September. The union has been engaged in limited job action in the form of a ban on overtime since August 19, 2014.

City council candidates heard loud and clear about the bargaining breakdown between the City of Castlegar and its CUPE workers at the Castlegar & District Chamber All-Candidates Forum.

With a number of questions coming to candidates, there was clear support for getting back to the bargaining table and having the mayor and council take some leadership in reaching a fair deal with city workers.

CUPE 2262 president Leford Lafayette said that the union and many of the audience at Thursday’s forum were very disappointed in Mayor Lawrence Chernoff’s apparent lack of commitment to finding a resolution.

“We have a serious and historic bargaining crisis in the city, but Mayor Chernoff doesn’t seem to think that he or council should get involved. Castlegar voters expect our mayor and council to roll up their sleeves and get things done. The buck stops with them and it’s not good enough for the mayor to suggest that someone else should deal with bargaining.”

Lafayette said that questions about the city hiring more managers and contracting out services were also raised at the Chamber Forum, and he noted that these are issues in bargaining.  “We certainly did not hear the mayor give any real explanation for why the city needs to add expensive new management positions and contract out work that could be done by in-house city staff.”

Lafayette said that the union thinks that the mayor and councillors need to sit at the table with City negotiators and the union to hear directly from one another, and that this should happen before the election.   “We won’t find a resolution if we are not talking to each other.  We were very disappointed when the last mediation failed, but CUPE members are ready, willing and able to get back to the bargaining table.”

Key outstanding issues include job security and serious concessions that would undercut CUPE’s ability to properly represent members when disputes arise. The current agreement expired in February 2013.  No bargaining has taken place since a second round of mediated talks failed to find a resolution September. The union has been engaged in limited job action in the form of a ban on overtime since August 19, 2014. CUPE 2262 represents 34 members working as inside and outside workers in Castlegar.