Members of the Civic Service Union 52 that work for the City of Edmonton are prepared to walk off the job this week and said they will serve notice to their employer on Monday morning.
CSU 52 represents some City of Edmonton workers, as well as employees in places like Capital Power, Edmonton Public Library, EPCOR, and Telus World of Science.
The two sides have been negotiating for over a year but have been unable to reach an agreement. The union said its workers have not seen a raise in five years.
CSU 52 is trying to negotiate a three-year deal with the possibility of adding a fourth and fifth year to the contract.
On Friday, the city said it had put forward its best and final offer that is “compelling even in light of our current financial realities.”
“Our primary outcome remains to reach a balanced agreement for CSU 52 members, the City and for taxpayers,” Cyndil Taylor, acting chief people officer for the City of Edmonton, said in a statement Friday.
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“Where is the leadership in this city? It’s regrettable that it has come to this, but our members have been more than patient and fair, asking for what is reasonable after five years of stagnant wages,” Lanny Chudyk, President of CSU 52, said in a statement early Monday morning.
“This isn’t just about our members; it’s about the entire city. A strike will have ripple effects across Edmonton, impacting services that residents rely on daily, jeopardizing the safety of our citizens, and paralyzing industries.
“We do not take issuing this notice lightly.”
The city’s largest labour union said the last time CSU 52 went on strike was 1976, almost 50 years ago.
It represents more than 6,000 technical, professional, administrative and clerical workers within the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Public Library.
That icluding police communications, 911 operators, DATS schedulers, 311 support agents, city planners, safety code and building code officers, permit processors, recreation centre employees, animal welfare co-ordinators, tax assessors, librarians, pages and professional services, and some workers within EPCOR and TELUS World of Science. (However, EPCOR staff are not employed by the city and have a separate collective agreement.)
— More to come…
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