Back to SearchPrince Albert – The City of Prince Albert expresses its disappointment over the recent decision by CUPE 882 to proceed with a strike, despite the City's sincere efforts to reach a fair resolution.
“We recognize that the large increase the City is proposing to CUPE 882 is to move the wages for comparable work environment from the 85 percentile to the 95 percentile. This will place us in a better position to retain our current employees and hire quality new employees,” says Mayor Greg Dionne. “City Council works hard to maintain a balance between salaries of our employees and the responsibility of managing taxpayer dollars effectively.”
“Considering the circumstances, the City feels compelled to accurately represent the negotiations and address certain misconceptions surrounding the offers made,” says Kevin Yates, Human Resources Manager
The City has presented CUPE 882 with a competitive offer that includes a general wage increase of 11% over a period of 4 years. Additionally, the City offered an extra 0.5% increase specifically aimed at addressing the needs of the lowest-paid employees. It is important to note that this offer surpasses the wage increases provided in comparable settlements, such as Regina's 6.7% over 3 years or the offer extended to Teachers, which stands at 7% over 3 years.
CUPE 882, in response, tabled a counter proposal demanding a 12% general wage increase over the same 4-year period. This represents a 1% difference compared to the City's offer. The 1% amounts to approximately $15 on average every two weeks for its members, but collectively the 1% is a significant amount for the City that property taxpayers would be expected to cover on their tax bills next year.
Furthermore, the union has made additional requests for earlier vacation allocation and other monetary benefits alongside the proposed wage increases. Regrettably, the City feels to combat inflation, putting money in employees' pockets is more important than offering additional time off.
The City feels this offer is both generous and fair and remains committed to the well-being of its employees and values their contributions.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Mayor Greg Dionne
306 953-4300
Kevin Yates
HR Manager, City of Prince Albert
306.953-4314
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