City and union butt heads over contract talks

By JOHN MOORHOUSE  Thursday, February 3, 2011 Penticton Herald:
A union leader‘s talk of possible job action has heated up the atmosphere surrounding contract talks between the City of Penticton and its CUPE workers.  The city revealed in a news release Wednesday that members of CUPE Local 608 last week rejected a city contract offer that included a two-tier wage system.  All current employees would keep their existing wages and benefits, but newly-hired workers would be paid substantially less – including $14 an hour for labourers, $14.50 an hour for lifeguards and $18 an hour for guards at the RCMP lockup.  Most lifeguards at the community centre pool work part-time, earning roughly $23 an hour plus 14 per cent in lieu of benefits. Community centre staff have been laid off since last March when construction began on a $23-million upgrade.  The contract offer also called for a wage freeze for all city employees in 2010 and 2011. The previous contract expired on Dec. 31, 2009. Negotiations are scheduled to continue on Feb. 24 and 25. 

Mayor Dan Ashton said in an interview that the press release was in response to media comments made by CUPE B.C. president Barry O‘Neill during a visit to Penticton last week.  “There has been some misconceptions around and we want to make sure people are aware of the facts,” he said. “I don‘t feel it‘s gloves off at all. I just think the information needs to be out here. There‘s been all kinds of things insinuated.”  O‘Neill hinted at the possibility of job action following council‘s recent decision to proceed with a request for proposals from the private sector for operation of the community centre.
Ashton declined to speculate on whether any job action will be taken.  “All I can tell you is I‘m glad we‘re at the bargaining table and I want to keep bargaining in good faith,” he said.  “Mr. O‘Neill came into town and tried to stir the pot up a little tiny bit. He made some accusations that I thought were wrong,” Ashton said. “The last thing you want to do is threaten to strike when you‘re in the middle of negotiations.”  But CUPE claims it‘s the mayor who is trying to provoke a dispute rather than deal with the privatization issue. CUPE Local 608 president Patti Finch said Ashton‘s comments were “inappropriate and provocative.”  “This is really about public services for residents. The mayor‘s statements are misleading at best,” Finch said in a news release.  She repeated her previous assertion that the union will not bargain in the media, but noted the city has laid off 50 workers in the past year and is now looking to privatize the community centre.  O‘Neill could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but took a shot at council‘s bargaining tactics in the CUPE news release.  “The mayor is paying for a consultant/bargainer from another province to put forward his privatization agenda and Penticton‘s Community Centre is first on the chopping block,” he said.  Interested companies have until Feb. 22 to respond to the city‘s request for proposals on the community centre‘s operation. Following a review by staff, a report will be presented at the March 7 council meeting.  Council estimates the city could save $400,000 a year by contracting out the community centre and pool to the private sector. “Private sector contractors operate the H2O Centre in Kelowna, the Johnson and Bentley Aquatic Centre in West Kelowna as well as facilities in the Lower Mainland and Gulf Islands,” the city stated. The status of contract talks also took on a public face at this week‘s city-sponsored forum into the provincial government‘s plans for a 360-cell prison in the Okanagan. Several CUPE members and supporters wore bright red T-shirts with the words “Keep the ’community‘ in the community centre” and “We won‘t be fooled again” across the back.  Ashton said he had no problem with the T-shirts and recognized the union members‘ right to free speech. Finch noted this wasn‘t the first time the T-shirts have been worn. Members previously donned the apparel last fall at the Farmers‘ Market. “We just want to show that we‘re there,” she said. “It‘s just a statement that we‘re out to keep our services public.”