As a sign of good faith, council waived its usual two-week notice period and voted unanimously to ratify a new contract for the municipality’s unionized workers, Feb. 3.
The contract, which will see members of CUPE local 1458 receive a 2.5 per cent wage increase in 2015, a three per cent increase in 2016 and a 3.5 per cent increase in 2017, was on the council agenda for information, with a decision date on Feb. 17.
But, Mayor Richard Ireland proposed that the decision be dealt with promptly.
“Given the particulars of this issue, given the faith that council has in management, given that council values its staff and given that we’ve had an opportunity to review these details in an in camera session, I would not be adverse to welcoming a motion to dispense with the two week notice and move forward with our decision today,” he said.
“I think that it sends a message to both sides that we trust that everything they’ve done on the management side and all that’s been contributed on the union side reflects extremely well on everyone.”
Council agreed, waiving notice and unanimously approving the new contract.
All employees of the Municipality of Jasper—with the exception of its 16 managers—are covered under a collective agreement between CUPE local 1458 and the municipality. That agreement expired Dec. 31, 2014.
The new collective agreement will run from Jan. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2017. Employees will receive retroactive pay for the month of January.
“The union had 26 proposals and management had six proposals in the overall package,” said Martha Fleming, director of human resources. “Ten were agreed to by the union and 16 were withdrawn. The breakdown went from housekeeping items, to language items to monetary items. We did go back and forth four times with proposals and counters and at the end of the session we came to an agreement to put forward to council.”
As well as an across the board pay increase to all 68 continuous staff and 30 casual staff, standby pay was also increased to $75 from $40 and standby stat holiday pay was increased to $100 from $60. Based on historic callouts, that would equate to an increase of $5,695 per year.
Also increased was the allowance for safety boots and aquatic clothing. Employees who need safety boots will be 100 per cent reimbursed up to a maximum cost of $200 per year and employees who need aquatic clothing will be 100 per cent reimbursed up to $150 per year. That equates to a budget increase of $750 per year.
“I think we’ve come up with an agreement, as the report lays out, that’s reasonable on behalf of the taxpayers and also on behalf of the workers,” said Mark Fercho, chief administrative officer. “The group was great to work with, they’re certainly looking out for their members, and then as well the management team, with Martha [Fleming] as the lead from the Municipality of Jasper.”
Nicole Veerman
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