Editor's note: The following story has been updated from its original version to include a comment from the city's chief administrative officer.
Close to 600 union workers with the City of Barrie have a strike mandate to walk off the job.
As negotiations continue with the city, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2380 have voted 99.5 per cent in favour of a "strong" strike mandate.
“We are seeking job security, appropriate staffing levels and fair compensation to help us keep up with high inflation,” said Mike Murphy, president of CUPE 2380. “Our members take great pride in delivering high quality services for our fellow citizens in Barrie, and we are simply seeking a fair settlement that acknowledges the value of our work.”
When contacted by BarrieToday, Mayor Jeff Lehman declined comment Wednesday morning.
Michael Prowse, the city’s chief administrative officer (CAO), did comment on the labour situation.
“We value our staff and we are committed to working hard to reach a resolution that is fair to our employees and responsible to our taxpayers,” he said. “We’re hopeful that an agreement can be reached without labour disruption.”
City union workers voted for the strike mandate on the evening of June 7 and their contract with the city expires at the end of June.
Ontario’s Labour Ministry has appointed a conciliation officer to work with CUPE and the city, to try to reach a deal, and three days of talks are scheduled next week.
Murphy said at any point in that process, either side can walk away from the table and file what’s called a ‘no board’ report.
“And once we file a ‘no board’, then I believe it’s 17 days and then we’re in a legal strike or lockout position,” he said. “We can strike or the city can lock us out.”
Murphy said the job security issue goes back to early 2020, the start of the pandemic.
“There were were a number of (city) employees who were laid off, other folks who were on contract positions or seasonal positions that weren’t brought back to work,” he said. “The rest of us were required to do reduced work weeks, all sorts of things meant to save jobs.
“What we’re looking for through this bargaining process now is to strengthen the job security language that we have in the collective agreements so that situations like this won’t happen again, more or less.”
Murphy said the city is like many other employers struggling to recruit staff.
“That is leading to burnout with their existing employees, we’re having record numbers of people taking leaves of absences,” he said. “Creating a sense of job security and trying to attract talented people and retain the talent the city has are top priorities for us.”
Murphy said he did not have a number for fair compensation, a percentage increase for city workers.
“That’s a moving target. Inflation seems to keep going and going and going, so we’re just trying to keep up with inflation as best we can,” he said
City workers provide a range of public services including water and wastewater treatment, parks and recreation, financial and administrative services and city planning.
Megan Varga, CUPE 2380 secretary-treasurer, said city workers had endured a particularly challenging time in the pandemic, with many staff suffering loss of income due to temporary layoffs and reduction in hours.
But the workforce delivered undisrupted services to Barrie residents and were assured by management that their efforts would be duly appreciated, she said.
“We were promised a fair, comprehensive package recognizing the value of our services and the sacrifices we made through the pandemic,” Varga said. “But now that the time has come for those promises and gratitude to come to fruition, city management has tabled concessions and proposals that keep us far below the rising cost of living.”
