City of Winnipeg workers could be on strike next week
The union that represents thousands of City of Winnipeg workers have set a strike deadline for next week.
On Thursday, CUPE Local 500 announced that its bargaining committee has set Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 11:59 p.m. as the deadline for the City of Winnipeg to offer an “acceptable” deal. If this deal is not reached, 5,000 frontline city workers will be on strike come Wednesday.
“The city’s going to have to step up to the plate and ensure that we are a competitor in this labour market and ensure that we’re able to deliver services,” said Gord Delbridge, president of CUPE Local 500, on Thursday.
CUPE 500 said it has given the city a lot of time to provide an acceptable deal, but instead, the city has offered, “long-winded ways to give frontline workers less than they deserve, leaving them further behind.”
The union noted the city is losing staff members and is dealing with recruitment issues, which will only get worse if workers don’t receive real wage increases. Delbridge said that many employees are leaving for other opportunities where they can receive better pay.
“We’re being fair, we're being reasonable with our ask,” he said.
“We’re willing to take a reduction with our standard of living. We understand that the employer has economic challenges as well, but so do we as working-class families, and we’ll share that burden with you. We’ll work with you, but you can’t put it all on us.”
CUPE 500 added that the city still has time to work with them to prevent a strike, but the “ball is in their court.
“We are asking the city to come back to the table and put an end to this,” Delbridge said.
In a statement, the City of Winnipeg said it has presented an offer to CUPE, which includes general wage increases “well-above” those included in the offer that the CUPE bargaining committee shared with their members, and also includes “significant money” that would be be used for special wage adjustments to lower paid classifications.
“The City’s negotiating team has worked very hard to reach a fair deal for our CUPE represented workforce that avoids a labour disruption that would impact the important City services residents rely on,” said Michael Jack, the City’s chief administrative officer, in a news release. “We strongly encourage CUPE’s negotiating committee to accept the City’s latest offer and take it to their membership before any job action is taken.”
The city’s statement also says they proposed an essential services agreement to CUPE that would allow employees in certain key positions, such as 911 contact centre employees and sewage treatment, to continue to provide essential services.
“To date, CUPE has not agreed to sign this essential services agreement,” the city said.
The city said it will work to maintain essential services if a strike occurs, including police, fire, and paramedic response, water treatment, water quality testing, and transit service. They said services that are contracted out, such as recycling and garbage service, will not be impacted.
“Depending on the approach CUPE takes to strike planning, many city services and programs could either be reduced or temporarily interrupted, and certain city facilities may be temporarily closed to members of the public during a strike,” the statement from the city reads.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
There's progress reported in Gaza truce talks, but Israel downplays chances of ending war with Hamas
A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in cease-fire talks with Israel, though an Israeli official downplayed the prospects for a full end to the war in Gaza.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.