Cambridge workers approve contract

Unionized inside employees, including building inspectors and bylaw officers, OK two-year deal

CAMBRIDGE — The City of Cambridge and its unionized inside workers have voted in favour of a new two-year contract, ending a strike that started Feb. 17.

City council and the members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1882 ratified a deal Thursday afternoon that was reached early in the morning after seven hours of negotiations. The new contract includes:

“Red-circling” or freezing of grandparented wages.

Individuals with grandparented wages will get a one per cent lump sum payment in their first pay in December from 2017 to 2019 based on the maximum salary level identified by their position’s grade.

Workers whose wages are not frozen will receive a two per cent cost of living increase each year during their contract. They will also receive a 1.7 per cent retroactive wage increase for 2016.

Workers will get some increases to benefits and improved vacation entitlement for new hires.

CUPE Local 1882 represents 163 inside workers, including administrative and professional staff, building inspectors, bylaw officers, customer service and technical services workers.

“We are very happy. We thought this was mutually agreed upon,” said Nancy Movrin, executive member with CUPE 1882. She said 97 per cent of union members voted in favour of the new contract.

The city said full city services are expected to be restored on Friday.

“We are thankful that residents have been so co-operative and patient during this time,” Mayor Doug Craig said in a release.

This strike by inside workers started just over a week after a six-day strike by the city’s outside workers.

“The city remained committed to bargaining process to protect taxpayers’ interests and meet the needs of all of our staff in a fair and reasonable way,” Cambridge city manager Gary Dyke said in a news release. “We believe that is exactly what we have achieved.”