Local City, unions, sign four-year agreements

The City of Prince George and the unionized employees of CUPE Local 1048 and CUPE Local 399 have ratified a new four-year collective agreement, which was approved by council prior to a vote last week by nearly 600 city staff.

Increases with the new agreement will include two per cent in 2017, 1.5 per cent in 2018, 1.5 per cent in 2019 and 1.75 per cent in 2020.

The term of the agreement extends from Jan. 1., 2017 until Dec. 31, 2020.

“We were able to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement with the City of Prince George without the need to bring in outside parties,” says Kelly Boudreau, president of CUPE local 1048.

“This is a perfect example of what can happen, when everyone involved negotiates in a respectful manner with reasonable expectations.”

The city says the increases are consistent with other municipal settlements throughout the province and are aligned with inflation.

Changes to the agreement also include the streamlining of provisions to ease ad- ministration and provide further clarification of the language.

“The city staff covered by this agreement perform a wide range of tasks and services in support of the community including parks, utility and road maintenance, bylaw enforcement, recreation services, building inspections and administrative support to police and fire services,” said Mayor Lyn Hall. “Council thanks all staff for their continuing hard work on behalf of residents. We are also pleased that city management and the CUPE negotiating teams settled this new contract in a respectful, smooth and efficient manner to the benefit of the community.”

This deal stands in stark contrast to the last four-year contract worked out between the two sides, when the two CUPE locals agreed to 0.5 per cent and a signing bonus for 2013, 0.75 per cent in 2014 and two per cent in both 2015 and 2016. That came at the end of a year of often acrimonious bargaining, culminating in a daylong walkout of city staff and a last-minute deal to avert a general strike.

CUPE Local 1048 represents 398 inside employees and CUPE Local 399 represents 195 outside employees.