City Workers Strike

[Calgarian]

Calgary’s largest civic union will hold a strike vote next week, after its negotiators rejected a city offer of a smaller wage hike in the first two years than council itself got for 2011 alone.

If the June 16 vote is successful, the 4,000-worker union of city planners, bylaw officers, 3-1-1 operators and other inside workers would days later hold rotating strikes and a work-to-rule campaign that blocks staff overtime.

Union president Peter Marsden said he wouldn’t tip his group’s hand and say exactly how the strike would unfold, other than explaining that workers wouldn’t walk off in areas that involved safety, like water treatment.

He did, however, point out that the strike could begin in late June, near the property-tax payment deadline.

A mediator failed last week to get the city and union to agree on wage terms. Calgary administrators soon increased their offer to a three-year deal of a two-per-cent pay hike this year, 2.5 per cent next year and three per cent in 2013, according to the bulletin.

The union wants a shorter two-year deal with a three-per-cent hike each year, which is slightly higher than the average increase in public administration settlements this year, according to Alberta Employment and Immigration. Marsden noted that council’s automatic pay raise this year was 4.54 per cent, an amount better than the first two years of the city’s proposal.

I think it's kinda sad to see how close they are, and it appears that they will end up with more money based on the city's proposal, but I'm not 100% sure of the details.



http://www.calgaryherald.com/busines...009/story.html

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

I think it's kinda sad to see how close they are, and it appears that they will end up with more money based on the city's proposal, but I'm not 100% sure of the details.

Very sad. I'm always amazed at these union disputes where literally half a percentage is worth fighting for. Personally I can't ever imagine stressing over what amounts to a few dollars a week after taxes - especially considering the pay loss due to a strike will almost certainly more than eat that up. But I also find it telling that council's raise is so much higher than they're offering regular workers: pretty much double.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Very sad. I'm always amazed at these union disputes where literally half a percentage is worth fighting for. Personally I can't ever imagine stressing over what amounts to a few dollars a week after taxes - especially considering the pay loss due to a strike will almost certainly more than eat that up. But I also find it telling that council's raise is so much higher than they're offering regular workers: pretty much double.

What are the circumstances of Council's raise though? is it a one time thing, or will they get more next year? It sounds to me like they got themselves a raise for this year, and they aren't going to get anything else for a while.

[sidepockets]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Very sad. I'm always amazed at these union disputes where literally half a percentage is worth fighting for. Personally I can't ever imagine stressing over what amounts to a few dollars a week after taxes - especially considering the pay loss due to a strike will almost certainly more than eat that up. But I also find it telling that council's raise is so much higher than they're offering regular workers: pretty much double.

Council receives pay adjustments every January 1 based on the % increase or decrease in the Alberta Average Weekly Earnings Index from September of the previous year to September of current year. This is the same adjustment that members of Edmonton City Council and and Alberta MLAs receive.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

What are the circumstances of Council's raise though? is it a one time thing, or will they get more next year? It sounds to me like they got themselves a raise for this year, and they aren't going to get anything else for a while.

I don't think I've ever heard of a politician seeing a pay freeze in my entire life.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by sidepockets

Council receives pay adjustments every January 1 based on the % increase or decrease in the Alberta Average Weekly Earnings Index from September of the previous year to September of current year. This is the same adjustment that members of Edmonton City Council and and Alberta MLAs receive.

Yessssssssss... the point being, why aren't city workers being given the same?

[MichaelS]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Yessssssssss... the point being, why aren't city workers being given the same?

Because if you can get them to agree to less, it benefits the tax payers (the people who vote them in).

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by MichaelS

Because if you can get them to agree to less, it benefits the tax payers (the people who vote them in).

Same applies to council as well. Maybe we're just agreeing on different points here.