CITY Responds YES to CUPE 15 to Bargain

(BOLD type added by Blogger.)

CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE
Judy Rogers, City Manager

September 7, 2007

Mr. Paul Faoro
President, CUPE Local 15
#300 - 545 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver BC V5Z 1K9

Dear Mr. Faoro:

RE: Your September 07, 2007 Letter Re: Collective Bargaining

I received your letter earlier today, and have now had a chance to discuss it with Mr. Scott (Senior Negotiator – GVRD) and with Mr. Naklicki (City CUPE 15 Bargaining Representative). I have also reviewed it with our General Manager, Human Resources, Mr. Zora.

I understand that the private meeting held on September 3, 2007, arising from my letter of August 31 was worthwhile. I also understand that the subsequent meeting held on September 5, 2007 to address the issue of the auxiliary conversions to regular full or part-time status helped to move this issue in a positive direction. As a result, the parties are continuing to meet today to try and work through another of the difficult issues – that being auxiliary scheduling.

While this still leaves a number of contentious issues unresolved, the bargaining team believes there has been sufficient progress to continue this process more formally at the bargaining table. Assuming that the meeting today goes well, the bargaining team believes that it would be appropriate for them to spend time on the weekend preparing an offer to try and resolve the strike thus enabling employees to return to work and services to be restored. The offer contemplated will not be time limited and will have some further room for continued negotiations – albeit not a lot of room.

It would be our preference to meet face to face on Monday afternoon, September 10th, and to set aside September 11th and 12th to continue face to face bargaining with CUPE 15. The GVRD is currently trying to locate an appropriate venue in anticipation that this will be acceptable to your committee. We will contact CUPE Local 1004 separately to make appropriate bargaining arrangements for next week.

Yours truly,

Judy Rogers
City Manager