Municipal workers in Watson Lake take strike vote as talks break off
Union says hours of work, job descriptions and training are main issues while town says it's wages
Talks have broken off between the town of Watson Lake, Yukon, and its 21 unionized workers, but there are no work disruptions planned at this point, according to Jack Bourassa of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
The negotiations broke off between the workers and the town last week, said Bourassa.
He said they've also voted in favour of strike action if a deal cannot be reached.
"The strike action is just a mandate that is given to the bargaining team. It's my understanding that they're still trying to get the employer back to the table to have some discussions," said Bourassa.
Bourassa says the workers have been without a contract for more than a year and are considering a bad faith bargaining complaint to the Canadian Labour Relations Board.
However, Rick Rontondi, Watson Lake's chief administrative officer, says the town has been negotiating honestly.
"We don't feel like we have [been bargaining in bad faith]," he said. "We've been open and up front and transparent.
"Bargaining in bad faith means a little work on the sly or something like that, and that's never been our intent, and never been our conduct."
Rontondi said the town is open to resuming negotiations with the workers, adding that while it respects the rights of workers, it must also weigh its responsibility to taxpayers.
He said the main holdup is wages, while Bourassa said hours of work, job descriptions, and training for the town's new water treatment plant are the main issues on the table.
with files from Nancy Thomson