After a lengthy period of negotiations, municipal workers voted on Wednesday to ratify their collective agreement with Loyalist Township, taking the last step needed to ensure the high quality and continuity of public services for the residents of Loyalist Township.
The employees’ endorsement concludes a fraught round of bargaining, in which the township’s demands for cuts and reductions in workers’ terms and conditions threatened to disrupt road, water and other municipal services.
Eight months after the last contract expired, a tentative agreement was reached between members of Local 2150 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and negotiators for Loyalist Township on August 26 after a 15-hour bargaining session.
Union leaders reported that during negotiations workers were left feeling that their work was “less valued” than in previous years and that the prevailing tone in 2015’s negotiations was a departure from the former mutually respectful relationship.
“These negotiations were never about money,” said Alex Scott, President of CUPE 2150. “They were always about our commitment to serving our community and how we could work together to improve services. Now the members of CUPE 2150 are hoping to move forward in a more positive, productive manner.”
Highlights of the agreement include formally scheduled hours for workers (as opposed to unlimited on-call hours proposed by the township). The union also agreed to the removal of wing plow operators from the agreement in exchange for a no-layoff provision for those in public works.
CUPE 2150 represents over 60 municipal workers who provide municipal services, including public works maintenance of roads, sidewalks, parks, fleet, ferry dock maintenance, land-fill operations, snow removal, emergency services vehicle maintenance, water treatment and distribution services, wastewater treatment and collection services, arena and pool maintenance and operation, administration and financial services, building and property standard inspections and planning and engineering services.
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Alex Scott, CUPE 2150 President 613-888-4516
Cheri Dobbs, CUPE National Representative 613-542-8254
Mary Unan, CUPE Communications 647-390-9839
