Your bargaining committee met with the employers for a full day of negotiations on Wednesday, May 17. Unfortunately, while we continue to meet, essentially no further progress towards a new collective agreement has been made.
Throughout bargaining the employers have introduced concessionary proposals which they refuse to back down from – we simply cannot entertain any concessions.
What does this mean? A concession, as defined by CUPE, is:
A concession occurs when a local union accepts an employer’s demand for a lesser wage. A concession also occurs when a local union accepts an employer’s demand for a lesser contract provision than previously agreed, without at least receiving a like benefit, or provision of higher value or importance in return.
A two-tier contract provision offers a lesser condition of employment for certain employees than for others performing the same work, based solely on their date of hire. Two-tier provisions are always considered a concession, regardless of what may be negotiated in return.
What’s next?
We have additional bargaining dates scheduled for June 6 and 9. We want to reiterate that we remain committed to negotiating a collective agreement that reflects the current economic climate, and the lasting impact inflation has had on the cost of living. If these meetings are unproductive, we may need to schedule meetings with you in the fall to discuss and plan the steps necessary to reach a new collective agreement.
CUPE 387 members develop and maintain our community’s infrastructure, ensure clean and well-maintained public and green spaces and help to ensure public safety. Workers play a vital role in keeping our community running for residents, businesses and visitors.
CUPE 387 members deserve a fair collective agreement that recognizes the value of their work.
Make sure you continue to receive bargaining updates
The best way to make sure you receive all future bargaining updates is to regularly monitor the CUPE 387 website and also ensure CUPE 387 has your contact information by emailing your personal (non-work) email address to cupeoffice@telus.net.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us by email at cupe387@telus.net