CUPE 387 and the City of New Westminster made some progress in negotiating some key issues on the weekend – but union hopes today’s strike vote can push it over the finish line.
The union represents more than 800 employees with the City of New Westminster, including library workers and civilian employees in the police department. In a notice posted on its website last week, CUPE 387 stated the employers had “continually refused to engage in meaningful discussions” about key issues, which had limited the progress in reaching a new contract.
In a bargaining update to its members, CUPE 387 stated that after announcing its Oct. 16 strike vote, the employers contacted the union to resume negotiations.
“We spent Friday and Saturday bargaining directly with the employer. With the outside negotiator not at the table, there was a shift in tone at the bargaining table and we were able to have some important progressive discussions about your key bargaining priorities,” said the update. “While we’ve made some progress, we still have not reached agreement on several key issues, and there are significant barriers we need to address before reaching a deal.”
CUPE 387 stated that it needs to keep the momentum going so it can conclude this round of bargaining. It’s informed its members that a strong strike vote “will help carry that momentum” into the bargaining session that’s scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 17.
The strike vote scheduled for Oct. 16 (today) is proceeding, and the union is still asking its members to vote Yes to ensure it can address the outstanding issues remaining and reach a tentative agreement in a timely manner.
“A strong strike vote remains an important step towards negotiating a new contract,” said the update. “Vote YES … and let’s make sure we get over the finish line and secure a new contract that benefits all workers.”
The City of New Westminster’s bargaining team is “optimistic” about reaching a settlement with its unionize employees.
In a memo circulated to city staff on behalf of the city's negotiating team, Lisa Spitale, the city's chief administrative officer, said it had had productive sessions with CUPE on Friday and Saturday. She stated that a follow-up bargaining session has been scheduled for this Tuesday morning to continue the discussions.
“I believe that the recent sessions have been collaborative, constructive and respectful, and that significant progress is being made towards a tentative agreement,” said Spitale, the city's chief negotiator. “While this round of negotiations has taken longer than anyone would have liked, I am optimistic about the final product: a collective agreement that demonstrates our commitment to all of you – our valued employees – and to the community we all serve.”
The memo stated that there is still work to be done over the coming days, but Spitale acknowledged the “tremendous efforts” put in by both parties over the past months towards a fair and progressive collective agreement.
Prior to this past weekend’s negotiations, CUPE had informed its members that after almost a year of bargaining, no agreement has been reached on employees’ priorities including: wage increases; benefit improvements; working-from-home language; modified work week/shift language; and improvements to auxiliary rights (stability for workers).
CUPE 387 represents about 825 civic service workers of the City of New Westminster, including the New Westminster Public Library. The 2020-2021 two-year collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2021.
More to come....
