The CRD strike involving members of the BC General Employees Union is now into its 19th day.
The Union is accusing the Cariboo Regional District of prolonging the strike and hurting communities.
Paul Finch, President-elect of the BCGEU, says “the CRD’s management is refusing to return to the bargaining table with a deal that is in line with what workers or the community needs, which is putting vital services at risk of prolonged job action.”
Finch is calling on the Regional District to move off of their original, insufficient wage proposal for one that includes the inflation-matching wages that it’s members desperately need.
“The CRD owes is to the entire Cariboo community to provide frontline workers with the wage protections they need to keep calling the area home. Wages that can keep up with the cost of living are key to attracting and retaining expertise needed to deliver strong services now and into the future.”
Finch also took a shot at upper management.
“It’s disappointing that upper management is so blatantly ignoring the impact that our members have on the prosperity of the entire Cariboo Region. By devaluing their staff, they’re also devaluing the farmers, construction workers, library customers and everyone else whose own livlihoods and quality of life depend on our members and the vital work they do.”
Workers in Quesnel, Williams Lake and 100 Mile House have been on strike back on May 13th.
Meanwhile, the Chief Administrative Officer with the CRD says it is not a fair statement to say that they are not willing to negotiate with striking employees.
Murray Daly says they have reached out to the union and asked them to come back to the bargaining table.
“Like we’ve said all along we want a fair deal for our workers but we have to make sure it’s fair to the taxpayers as well, and it’s just the balance for this kind of strike.”
Daly says that he doesn’t think that there is that big of a gap.
“I think what they were asking for, when they talk about inflationary protections, is just something that, that’s hard to agree to. They’re asking for CPI protection around wage negotiations and that’s just too much of an unknown for the Regional District to commit to. They can come and negotiate a fair wage rate, then we know with certainty what we’re paying everybody every year for when we’re building our financial plans going forward right, so I don’t think we’re worlds apart,”
Daly says he feels they can hammer out a deal relatively quickly if they can get back to the bargaining table, adding that he wants the employees back to work.
“We recognize that our employees deserve a fair wage and something that affords them some protections. They deserve to be fairly compensated, they’re good dedicated employees and I care about them as, in my position I care about my employees and I want them back to work, but we need to find something that is not only fair to the employees at a compensatory level but that is fair to the taxpayer.”
As for the impact of the strike, he says the main library remains closed and they are still just offering curbside pickup at others, and planning inquiries and building inspections are slower than normal as just the managers are working in those areas.
–Files by George Henderson, My Cariboo Now
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