CUPE Serves Strike Notice

By 250 News Monday, December 09, 2013 01:58 PM
Prince George, B.C.- For the first time in it's history with the City of Prince George, CUPE has served strike notice on the City.Locals 399 and 1048 have issued 72 hour strike notice and are preparing for job action."After months of negotiations the City is still refusing to adjust their mandate. This is our last option," said CUPE 399 president Gary Campbell. "Throughout this process the City has continuously disrespected front line workers while still being able to find funding for numerous new projects and for hiring new staff. City workers are extremely frustrated and while no one wants to go on strike we’re prepared to stand up for a fair and reasonable contract." In late November CUPE 399 and 1048 members overwhelmingly rejected the City’s last offer which provided no wage increases in the first two years of the contract. CUPE 1048 president Janet Bigelow said that essential service talks over the weekend showed that the City is still not prepared to work with the union to reach any agreement. "During both bargaining and essential service talks the city has remained focused on continuing this labour dispute rather than working towards reaching a fair and reasonable agreement," said Bigelow. "We have been attempting to work out essential services for months but the city has refused to engage in any meaningful discussions with the union." Bigelow said that since the union has now issued 72-hour notice the BC Labour Relations Board could issue an interim essential services designation until a final decision can be made and this would allow job action to occur without any delay.