Coldstream, B.C. municipal workers vote in favour of striking

Talks broke down in August over wage proposals: CUPE

Coldstream, B.C. municipal workers vote in favour of striking
CUPE 626 members working at the District of Coldwater serve in a range of roles. Google Street View

Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 626 working for the District of Coldstream in Coldstream, B.C. voted 96 per cent in favour of taking job action in a strike vote held on Sept. 20.

“This is not an action we take lightly. We’ve been working to resolve this issue at the bargaining table but are facing demands we simply cannot accept,” says Bryce de Dood, CUPE 626 president.

The parties began bargaining in May and made substantial progress in six full days of negotiations. Talks broke down in August with the employer seeking a wage settlement lower than surrounding communities and below the provincial average for municipalities, says the union.

The employer then demanded a longer term than proposed by the union, a move the union claims would amplify the negative impact of the employer’s proposed below average wage settlement, says CUPE.

“The employer’s proposal would lock us into an agreement that lowers our wages relative to other municipalities, and our members cannot afford to move backwards,” says de Dood.

Following the strike vote, the union applied to the B.C. Labour Relations Board to have a mediator appointed in the hopes of resolving the dispute prior to a disruption in services to the community. Dates for mediation have yet to be scheduled, says CUPE.

CUPE 626 members working at the District of Coldwater serve in a range of roles that support the community including front-line services staff, finance and accounting professionals, RCMP clerks, utility and equipment operators, parks workers, planning technicians, mechanics and other tradespeople.

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