No good news in NDCC labour dispute, information picket lines return Wednesday
By Bruce Fuhr
“No picket line” Tuesday came and went without an agreement in the labour dispute between the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) and CUPE Local 2262 workers at the Nelson and District Community Complex.
“Regrettably, negotiations between the RDCK and our unionized employees at the NDCC remain at an impasse,” said Jim Gustafson, Chief Administration Officer for the RDCK in an open letter released Tuesday.
“The key issues remaining are wages and the term (length) of contract.”
“We had no closures (Tuesday),” Steve Stringfellow, National Rep for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, told The Nelson Daily after the information lines that had been up outside the pool entrance since Friday were relaxed for one day.
“This was an opportunity for the employer to return to the table and have a conversation about where there can be compromise and ask us the same . . ..”
Unionized workers have been without a contract for 18 months after the last deal expired in February 2011.
The union turned up the heat in bargaining by issuing 72-hour strike notice Monday, September 11.
The two sides agreed to a cooling off period before the union took action, returning to the bargaining table last week.
The latest offer tabled by the RDCK Friday (September 21) was a two-year agreement with retroactive increases of one percent for 2011 and 2012 or a three-year agreement with retroactive increases of one percent for 2011 and 2012 and a one per cent increase for 2013.
The union, looking for cost of living wage increase of at least two percent per year, decided to walk away from the table and onto the picket line.
Gustafson said the RDCK has been able to broker agreements with workers at both the Creston and Castlegar District Community Complex, landfill unionized employees as well as RDCK Staff Association and other non-union workers.
Those agreements came with a one per cent wage increase for 2011.
Deals have also been reached with all but two employee groups for 2012.
“It is important to recognize that 2009 and 2010 were very difficult years for the Central Kootenay economy,” Gustafson explained.
“The regional economy is still soft and the RDCK has committed to controlling expenditures and maintaining a balance in our services across the Central Kootenay.”
Stringfellow said CUPE Local 2262 workers would return to the picket lines Wednesday with arena staff and custodians manning the information table.
The job action closes the arena for the day. Realizing the importance of the area to the well-being of the community, CUPE Local 2262 will contact all groups of the closure.
Thursday the fitness center will be closed.
Friday, the pool will shut down.
“There’s a deal sitting out there,” said Stringfellow, refusing for now to put the entire NDCC facility behind picket lines.
“We’re not necessarily stuck in our position but there just doesn’t seem to be a willingness to negotiate on the employer’s side right now.”
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