West Kelowna workers’ wages going up 16.5%

Unionized city workers in West Kelowna will get a raise of 16.5 percent over four years.

The contract was reached after three days of negotiating earlier this month.

“The recently ratified memorandum of settlement is a reasonable deal for the city and its unionized employees, balancing the need for recruitment and retention with the current financial landscape,” deputy chief administrative officer Trevor Seibel said Tuesday.

Municipal employees in West Kelowna are represented by the Association of Local Government Employees Union.

“The city will continue to work with the ALGEU to deliver high-quality services to the residents of West Kelowna,” Seibel said.

Workers will get a raise of 4.5 percent retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, with increases of 5.0 per cent, 3.5 per cent, and 3.5 per cent on the first day of the next three years. The contract was approved by workers on April 17 and ratified by city council on Monday.

The inflation rate in Canada is currently 2.8 per cent. But the city says the new contract with its workers is comparable to other recently signed collective agreements.

“Thirteen collective agreements have been settled over the past 12 months around the province, with the majority of these containing an annual average increase of 4.0 to 4.5 per cent over terms of two to five years,” the city said in a statement.

During the most recent 2020 to 2023 collective agreement between West Kelowna and its unionized workers, the annual average wage increase was 1.9 per cent, while the annual average consumer price index was 3.6 per cent over the same period, the city says.

“Most other union settlements had an annual average increase of 2.0 to 2.5 percent during that same period,” the city says.

Municipal taxes will rise 6.8 per cent this year in West Kelowna. A further increase of 18 percent is projected between 2025-2028, depending on the decisions of future councils.

This year, the city expects to collect $45 million from property owners in West Kelowna, with that number rising to $56.8 8 million by 2028.