City of Prince Albert inside workers on strike as impasse reached over wage hike

More than 100 inside employees of the City of Prince Albert, Sask., are on the picket line for the first time ever as of Monday morning.

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 882, whose members work in city hall and entertainment and recreational facilities in various capacities, announced the strike after a months-long impasse with the city over wage negotiations.

"When negotiations started, everything seemed to be on course and completely normal," union vice-president Cara Stelmaschuk told CBC News. "Then, we hit the monetary discussions and we were offered a final offer and told to take it to our membership.

"We did — and our membership rejected that offer."

CUPE 882 members have been "working to rule" since Aug. 10 by refusing to train others and ignoring dress codes, the union said in a news release it issued Sunday.

But that escalated to a strike Monday — the first in the local's 70-year history, according to a news release CUPE issued Monday morning.

The members of CUPE 882 have been working without a contract since the previous collective bargaining agreement expired at the end of 2021, Stelmaschuk said.

Both parties entered collective bargaining negotiations last year and, according to Kiley Bear, director of corporate services for the City of Prince Albert, came to agreements on all non-monetary items. But the sticking point throughout the summer has been compensation.

The city offered a package with an 11 per cent general wage increase over four years, including a 17 per cent increase for the union's lowest-paid workers, such as concession employees and box office attendants, according to the city's website.

The general wage increase offered to CUPE Local 882 was also offered and approved by city employees out of scope of the union, the website says.

During a news conference Monday afternoon, Bear described the offer as one of the best among Saskatchewan cities, as well as Canada in general.

However, union members rejected that offer. CUPE Local 882 countered with a general wage increase of 12 per cent over four years, but says the city has stood firm on its offer.

The parties met informally last Thursday to discuss the issue and city representatives "left feeling we were on the same page," Bear said.

"We were up front about our limitations and what we had to work with," she said, and invited the union to submit another proposal.

The union submitted a new offer on Friday to try to avoid a strike, according to CUPE's Sunday news release. The new proposal re-directed the desired wage increases and reduced the number of additional duty pay and vacation days.

The city rejected the offer.

"Their latest proposal showed that they were not serious about getting down to the discussions that would resolve this," Bear said. 

The city has previously stated that its offer is fair and generous, and that it refuses to burden taxpayers with the extra one per cent in wages.

But Kevin Yates, the city's human resources manager, said during Monday's news conference that the wage increase is not the only sticking point. The latest offer from the union reduced the demands for items such as extra vacation days, he said, "but these things cost a considerable amount of money."

The city wants more money to go toward wages to help with people's cost of living, as well as recruiting and retaining employees, Bear said. But vacation days, and other such items, are not "really up for consideration." 

The union has accused the city of being unwilling to negotiate, but the city has denied those allegations. Bear addressed them again Monday, saying the city has been open with its position and if the union can meet them there, the city will return to the table.

Stelmaschuk said the city's employees, who vote on the packages the union brings to them, are the ones rejecting the city's offer.

"It's not me standing here saying, 'No, we don't like this offer,'" she said. "Our membership has rejected this offer twice."

The strike will affect certain city-owned facilities, as well as services such as building inspection and permit approvals, bylaw enforcement and business licenses. Residents can contact the city or check its website regarding service interruptions.

The city has contingency plans that will allow it to maintain service for the next six months, Yates said, but the city is already planning in case the strike extends even longer than that.

City facilities and services are operating as normal Monday, Bear said, but certain parts of city operations will be assessed as the days go by. 

Outdoor services, including garbage and recycling pickup, were not impacted as of last Thursday, according to a news release issued by the city on Sept. 7.