Town of Cochrane and municipal employees agree on deal, ending strike action

Municipal workers in the small northeastern Ontario town of Cochrane have returned to work after reaching an agreement with their employer.

Roughly 60 employees, represented by CUPE, had been on strike since July 31 over wages.

The employees were looking for a three per cent pay increase each year for the next four years. 

After almost two months of walking the picket line, CUPE Local 71 announced they had ratified a new collective agreement with the town, and workers were back on the job as of September 25.

"It was a long road, but our members stayed on it and kept the pressure on the Town of Cochrane, and now we have a new contract that ends the strike," said Lyne Nolet, president of CUPE 71, in a statement.

"I'm so proud of the members and of the bargaining committee."

On October 1, Cochrane mayor Peter Politis released a statement on behalf of the town, announcing they had come to terms with the municipal workers.

"The Town and Council would like to congratulate our employees on securing a fair deal to help them as individuals navigate this uncertain era, while also taking the opportunity to express just how happy we are that they are back on the job," said Politis.

In the statement to residents, Politis said the wage deal agreed to over the next four years was two per cent, three per cent, 2.75 per cent, and 2.5 per cent. 

He said that is about a three-quarter per cent increase in cost from the town's starting position.

"While there will be much debate on the perspective and what it means, the Town and Council are content that the impact is a reasonable and manageable one all considered, while providing the employees with some of the much-needed relief from the turbulence of the pandemic that they were seeking," said Politis. 

"[It's] a balanced and fair outcome."

Politis said the town will now get back to normal operations and move forward from the strike, which was the first for municipal workers in Cochrane.