City of Prince George workers were out on strike on Saturday, closing several public facilities for the day.
The one-day strike was slated to last from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. The strike closed CN Centre, the Prince George Coliseum, Prince George Aquatic Centre, Kin Centres, and Elkcentre, according to information released by the city. The Four Seasons Leisure Pool has been closed for pool maintenance since Dec. 2.
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 1048 president Janet Bigelow said workers want to tell city administration that it's time to, "come back to the table with a fair collective agreement."
"... I think it's [Mayor] Shari Green and council that need to listen. Our wages, as civic workers, we earn - we work hard," Bigelow said. "We are not the reason they're having issues with the budget."
City workers shouldn't be punished for city council's spending decisions, Bigelow said.
Members of CUPE locals 399 and 1048, representing the city's outside and inside workers, have been in negotiations with the City of Prince George since January. In September workers voted 93 per cent in favour of strike action, and in November members voted 82 per cent to reject the city's latest offer - a four-year deal with no wage increases in the first two years and two per cent raises in the third and fourth year.
The strike action, and work-to-rule campaign which will follow, isn't just about wages, Bigelow said, it's also about respect.
"We're tired of being disrespected," she said. "We feel a phone survey of 300 residents of Prince George doesn't tell the real story."
Union members were upset by a survey of 301 residents conducted by The Mustel Group on behalf of the city from Nov. 6 to Nov. 1. Survey participants were asked if they supported the wage proposals made by the city and the union.
According to the survey, 45 per cent of those polled supported the city position, while 29 per cent supported the union proposal of two per cent increases each year.
Survey respondents were also asked if they thought the $26.84 per hour entry-level wages for city labourers was too high -44 per cent said it was too high, while 46 per cent said it was just right and six per cent said it was too low.
"I've been with here [with the city] 37 years and I've never seen disrespect like this," said one worker on the picket line outside the Coliseum.
Bigelow said union workers on picket lines Saturday morning at civic facilities have seen firsthand the support from the community.
"We've had people dropping off coffee, Timbits, honking... to come out in the cold, that shows real support," Bigelow said.
Prince George Aquatic Centre worker Nadia Raymond said city workers just want to see some compromise from the city.
"We're just looking to be met in the middle," Raymond said. "They're saying 'no' to everything. We just want some compromise."
CUPE B.C. secretary-treasurer Paul Faoro was in Prince George to participate in the strike. Faoro put the blame for the strike directly on the mayor and council.
"We're not going to let Mayor Green and her personal agenda attack these workers," Faoro said. "The last strike in this town was 50 years ago. The only thing I can see that has changed is Mayor Green. She's going to wear this."
If negotiations don't resume, it will be up to the two city locals to decide when and if additional strike action will happen, he said.
"The way to solve this is to get back to the table... and get a deal," he said. "These guys don't want to be out here, they want to be providing the services. [But] they're going to to do what they need to do."
In an email, Green said she was not surprised the union is taking aim at her and council.
"It's unfortunate, but I suppose it's to be expected. Council was elected to do a job and the public has spoken loud and clear that they expect us to get our fiscal house in order," Green wrote.
"There is no money available in 2013 or 2014. After enjoying 16 per cent wage increases in the last contract, 15 days per year of paid sick time entitlement, and having enjoyed wage increases every year since 1984, this contract needs to reflect the taxpayer's ability to pay - and they have paid enough."
City superintendent of operations Bill Gaal said city operations should be back to normal starting at 10 p.m. on Saturday. The primary impacts of the strike were on groups which had events scheduled at the arenas and pool on Saturday.
"Certainly there has been an impact. [But] our staff had done a lot of calling to the users to let them know," Gaal said Saturday afternoon.
He said the city wasn't anticipating any long-term impacts from the temporary closure of the facilities.
No estimate was available on the amount of lost income from ice time fees and pool admissions was available.
