CUPE local in mediation with City; more than 900 workers involved

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on October 24, 2024.

Herald photo by Al Beeber City of Lethbridge CUPE member Todd Carter holds up a sign calling for fair wages. More than 900 members of CUPE Local 70 were in mediation with the City Wednesday. If mediation efforts failed, the union will go back to its members to discuss further steps.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

More than 900 City of Lethbridge employees who belong to Local 70 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees could go on strike if mediation efforts Wednesday failed to produce a deal.

CUPE members gathered outside the bus barns on the city’s northside Wednesday afternoon as a show of solidarity with each other.

Sandra Walker, a national representative of CUPE, said negotiations with the City have been ongoing for 20 months. The local represents inside and outside workers in a range of City departments, the only ones which aren’t affected being Transit and the electrical department.

“As with everything else, it’s certainly a lot of monetary issues. All workers in Alberta are experiencing this ridiculous cost of living increase and wages aren’t really keeping up with that,” said Walker.

“So we’re working on trying to get a deal today. We wanted to see some support from our members to say we need fair wages,” Walker said of the gathering.

Jeremy Charlesworth, member engagement co-ordinator for Local 70, said mediation with the City started on Wednesday and presently there are no strike plans.

“Nothing will be impacted yet,” he said.

Mediation has to be done first and depending on the results, there is a cooling off period, he said. Departments with CUPE members involved in the mediation efforts include Waste and Recycling, Water, Wastewater, Parks, Leisure and Recreation, and Community Services.

Walker says bargaining has gone on “too long” but noted there has been more cooperation in the last couple of months by the City.

“We’re prepared to stay for as long as it takes today,” said Walker, adding Wednesday was “the day that we either get a deal or we don’t.”

If mediation wasn’t successful yesterday, the local or employer would have to make a decision on further steps, Walker said.

The union could go to its members for a strike mandate or the City could choose to lock them out, Walker said, if mediation fails.

Among the issues on the agenda is what the union calls “precarious work,” that which involves temporary or seasonal workers.

“We’re trying to secure permanent positions so folks can have some stability. Imagine trying to get a mortgage when you’re not a permanent employee, when you’re just on a temporary status.”

One worker on that temporary status is Todd Carter who has been a casual employee working 40 hours a week for 14 years.

He said he gets laid off this week – which happens twice a year – and he doesn’t get full-time benefits.

“And now my shift that I’ve always had for 40 hours for the past 14 years in the winter has been reduced to 32. I work for Parks in summer and winter and there’s very few full-time positions in Parks. They have a hard time keeping good employees because they don’t want offer full-time work,” added Carter.

Trying to get a mortgage, he said, is difficult when a bank sees a pay stub and it says permanent part-time.

“Precarious work,” said Carter who has to find a second job for the winter with his hours being cut.

Local 70 president Susan Gouw told the Herald “it’s taking too long. People are hurting after COVID and we’re getting nowhere.

The Herald reached out to the City for a statement late in the afternoon but due to the time of day one wasn’t available at press time.