Vancouver City Council voted today to accept mediator’s Brian Foley’s non-binding recommendations for a new contractual agreement with the City’s workers. Council also voted to approve the funding recommended for library workers, should the Vancouver Library Board also accept the mediator’s recommendations during its vote later this afternoon.
“The City of Vancouver’s immediate priority is to facilitate the return to work of CUPE 15 members and the restoration of related services,” states Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan. “I would like to thank the citizens of Vancouver for their ongoing civility and patience during this strike.”
CUPE 15 represents about 3,500 of city’s “inside” workers, responsible for customer services provided at City Hall, such as processing development permits and licenses, as well as providing services at a variety of city-owned and operated venues, such as theatres and daycares. Some civic sites rely on a mixture of inside and “outside” workers, represented by CUPE 1004.
“We’re very pleased that a clear majority of our workers voted in favour of the recommendations. Our city managers need to work with our returning staff to determine a schedule for which services can be restored and when,” said City spokesperson Jerry Dobrovolny. “We’ll provide that information as soon as possible, and will work to keep everyone informed during this evolving process.”
People are encouraged to visit the city’s website for ongoing updates on related to city services. SOURCE: vancouver.ca
Update: City votes in favour of mediator proposals
Wednesday, October 10 - 02:25:00 PM Reshmi Nair
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The City of Vancouver has accepted the mediated deals proposed to end the civic workers strike. Council approved all three deals, although only one has been accepted by union members.
Inside workers could be back to work by as early as tomorrow to deal with things like building permits, inspections and by-law enforcement. Management will outline which services could be restored, and when.
But they still have to take into consideration the fact that outside workers and library workers have not accepted mediated deals, and could still be picketing.
3 comments:
Well if City Council voted for all three deals, and I presume VV and COPE councilors also voted for the deals, where is the political pressure going to come from to reopen negotiations with 1004 and 391? Presumably there is lots to do getting the Inside Workers back and getting their departments running and it won't be much of a stretch to say the City is too busy to renegotiate right now.
The City never "negotiated" in the first place, so I doubt 1004 and 391 will notice any difference!
The political pressure was there from the start. Pay equity is a 70s issue, yet here in Vancouver library staff are butting heads with management. Why go to Toronto to buy dinosaurs when we've got several right here. Pay equity is a no brainer in the minds of most citizens, whether they work in the public or private sector.
It's like whistleblower protection which is politically foolish to oppose because it begs the question, "What does the employer have to hide?" and provokes suspicion of senior management not only amongst staff but also amongst the public who demand transparency and honesty from all employers, but particularly from government since it is in a position of public trust.
An employer that resists implementation of either of these policies appears backward to most I've spoken with.
There is also political pressure in the simple fact that world class cities - which Vancouver goes to great lengths to be recognized as - don't push and keep their public library staff out on strike for 12 weeks while the public is denied the important service they provide. Students need libraries. Seniors need libraries. Children learning to read need libraries. The poor who cannot afford to buy books, rent DVDs or pay for a high speed Internet connection need libraries. Libraries preserve and distribute the world's knowledge. Anyone under the impression that a city without a library functions as well as a city with one must not value learning and knowledge as much as those who demand the service.
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