Summer of labour strife looming

Managing editor Scott Neufeld EDITORIAL July 26 http://www.dailycourier.ca/

Elsewhere it may be the summer of sports scandals, but in B.C. it’s becoming a summer of labour strikes. Forestry workers set up picket lines this past weekend but they were simply another 7,000 workers to add to the growing list of bargaining employees. Highway workers across the province and here in the North Okanagan, were among the first to walk off the job but since then more than 15,000 municipal workers in the Lower Mainland have also joined in.
Even with a booming economy spring bloomed into a summer of discontent. The forest workers claim that employers are sacrificing safety standards to bulk up their bottom lines. However, forest companies counter that the decline of the U.S. housing market and a climbing loonie mean that they cannot give in to many of the workers’ demands. Similarly, highways workers and contractors seem to be entrenched in their dispute. Despite meeting with mediator Vince Ready last week, the two sides were unable to agree on a settlement. Although the contractors appear willing to discuss wage issues, few other issues are up for discussion.

For municipal workers in Vancouver, one of the key issues, in addition to wages and other standard issues, is the length of contracts. The cities want a longer contract to ensure peace through the 2010 Olympics. However, workers fear their bargaining position will be diminished if there is a move to tighten budgets after the Olympic spending spree. While municipal workers strike in the Lower Mainland, it’s unclear whether municipal workers in Vernon are planning to walk off the job The contract between the city and its unionized employees expired on Dec. 31, 2006. Negotiations were expected to start soon after but there has been little word on how the talks are progressing. City managers have so far refused comment, while CUPE has not returned several phone calls. But with no official announcement of an agreement and the length of time since the last one expired, it’s clear that discussions are not going as well as the two sides had hoped. Should city workers choose to strike, Vernon residents may soon experience what residents in Vancouver have been dealing with. Maintenance of city parks would stop, garbage pickup would cease and many city recreation programs and day camps would likely be cancelled. But as of yet, none of these things have taken place. Hopefully, the two sides will be able to come to an agreement so that Vernon residents can avoid this summer of labour strife.