Skip to content

White Rock worker strike could begin this weekend

4283041514-cupe02

WHITE ROCK — The City by the Sea could be facing its first city worker strike as soon as this weekend following an essential services meeting between the union and the city.

The meeting was held in order to agree on what services within the city would be deemed essential and therefore unaffected by any strike action. Both sides agreed the only duties that should fall into that category would be fire and RCMP support services. Everything else, such as waste removal, would be impacted by a strike.

“We can’t say that’s essential,” said Mayor Wayne Baldwin, noting the issue was top of mind for many at the city. “We’re concerned about it for a number of reasons – we don’t want to see the level of services to our residents, the taxpayers, disrupted but we also don’t want to see our employees go out and take job action.”

If the unionized city workers, all part of CUPE 402-01, go on strike Baldwin said they too would be adversely affected.

“In my opinion it’s not necessary because every week that they’re off, they’re going to lose two per cent of their pay,” he said. “So there’s nothing in my mind that’s so important that that has to be given up. It also affects people in their last couple of years of service, it affects their pension.”

CUPE 402-01 President Mike Guraliuk said they were as close as ever to beginning job action.

“We are waiting for a report from the labour board and hopefully and then there’s a 48-hour cooling off period,” he said Tuesday. “After that we’ll be in a position to serve 72-hour strike notice, and we will.”

At issue are benefits, vacations, protection of hours and injury-related clauses. CUPE is also looking for benefits for casual and part-time workers, which Guraliuk said are offered in about half of the other municipalities in B.C.

Guraliuk added there were no further meetings set up with the city at this time, but “we put it out there, we’re very open to meet with the city anytime any place, so we’ll see.”

Workers voted 94 per cent in favour of striking back in February and have been bargaining since last June.

Baldwin said the city was looking to continue negotiations but noted they also wouldn’t agree to just anything.

“There’s still time for negotiations but we have to ensure that we’re looking after the best interests of the taxpayers with respect by what we give by way of a settlement because what we do will go on for many, many years,” he said. “We’re not going to just agree to something for the sake of agreeing to it. We are concerned as we’ve never had a strike here and we don’t want to see it happen but I’m not sure what CUPE’s goals are in this respect. I just don’t see that they’re in the end going to win by that.

“We hope in the end that clearer heads will prevail and we’ll come to an agreement.”

Twitter @Questionchris

cpoon@thenownewspaper.com