CUPE 1050
CUPE 1050
Quesnel City Workers
Quesnel City Workers
This Website Voted Best In BC In Locals Under 500 Members And 2nd In Canada in Locals Under 1000 Members
CUPE 1050 President, Elected As Northern Area District Council Vice - President
Feb. 21, 2004
CUPE 1050 President Dan Weiman, was elected as Vice - President of the NADC, for a 2 year term at the Feb. 21 Convention held in Smithers BC. This position gives Quesnel more of a voice in matters affecting CUPE in Northern BC, and can help in getting our concerns heard at CUPE BC and CUPE National Conventions.
Feb. 20, 2004 CUPE Members from across Northern BC, spent their lunch hour on a CAW Picket Line set up in Smithers BC against the CN Railroad. CUPE Members were in Smithers for the Spring Convention and Education Courses hosted by the Northern Area District Council.
City & Union Agree On EI Rebate Issue
After several years of asking, and about 1 year of negotiating, an agreement has finally been reached on the EI Rebate issue. All EI rebate monies for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 totalling $12,471.31 will be divided up and distributed into individual employees bank time accounts. As well EI rebate monies will also be credited for 2003 to 2005 as bank time and at bargaining 2005 it will be decided how these monies will be used in the future. These payments will be distributed in early 2004.
The Union sees this agreement as a step forward in Union / Management relations.
Bylaw Enforcement / Animal Control, A Concern In City Satisfaction Survey...
In the recent Satisfaction survey completed by the City, the Bylaw Enforcement / Animal Control duties showed up as an area that could improve. The Union and the Employees in this department agree.
The City currently employees 2 people in this department and they look after all Bylaw Enforcement and Animal Control in the whole City area. This area includes south to the Sandman Hotel, north to the Airport, as well as Downtown and Westside. Unfortunately the City only provides 1 vehicle to this department, and recently made a policy that only 1 Employee can be in the truck at a time. This basically leaves one Employee only able to deal with issues arising within walking distance of the RCMP Detachment. This might explain slow service for dog complaints, or bylaw matters. The solution seems simple, provide a 2nd vehicle so that these workers can deliver better service to the public.
A Few New Faces...
At the annual elections held on December 8, 2003 all but 4 positions stayed the same.
Doug Chute moved to Chief Shop Steward, from yard shop steward, and Kewal Bagri was elected to the Yard Shop Steward position. Candace King was elected as RCMP Shop Steward and Donna King was elected as 3 Year Trustee.
Congratulations to all those elected, and welcome to Kewal and Candice as the new members on the executive.
Education... A Very Important Part Of Being A Union Officer
As the Union faces tougher challenges in the work place, it has never been more essential that the Union officers be well educated in everything from how to be an effective shop steward, to labor law and duty to accommodate.
As management continuously tries to downsize our work force and yet try to accomplish more, we find them constantly pushing the line on what they can get away with under our collective agreement.
All though the cost of education is high, the cost of ignorance is much higher. Management would like nothing more than to be able to pull the wool over the eyes of an uneducated executive.
Recreation Funding Problems May Cause Layoffs & Bumping For City Employees
At a meeting held at City Hall on Jan. 28/04, Management and members of Council, Including the Mayor informed the Union Exec. Members that do to a funding impasse between the City and the CRD, that management of the Twin Arena's and the Rec Center, may get passed from the City to the CRD. This would mean all existing Staff ( aprox. 54 employees ) will receive layoff notices from the City. Members of Local 1050 would have bumping options available into other departments at the City.
Details and opinions around this issue can be seen at the following websites: City News Release, CRD Position, Quesnel Observer Story, Other Opinions.
The City has given the CRD until Monday, Feb. 2/04, to come to terms on a funding formula and has given notice that if an agreement isn't reached at that time, management of the Arenas and Rec Center by the City will end in 90 days.
This leaves a very uncertain future for Recreation in Quesnel, with the City Employees, the Tax Payers, and the Recreation Users being caught in the middle of an ugly battle between the City & the CRD.
The end result being lost jobs for workers, higher fees for users, possibly more taxes for rate payers, and even the possibility of no services at all.
Although the City would have us believe that the whole funding problem lies with the CRD, it is hard to swallow that in the days of building duck ponds and Shiraoi Houses and 8 million dollar City Halls, that Recreation Services have to be offloaded because of a $180,000. funding shortfall.
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Arena's & Rec. Center May Close
Jan. 30/04
Today Gorden Gillette, CRD Manager, in discussions with the Union, stated that the CRD has informed the City in writing that they will not be agreeing to the City's ultimatum by Feb. 2/04.
Gillette said he is appalled at the way the City has dealt with this issue, giving the CRD a 7 days or else ultimatum.
Gillette went on to say that if the City doesn't want to manage these facilities, they should have informed the CRD of this so they could get the infrastructure into place to take over the Arena and Pool management.
Gillette said that if the City follows through with the threat of turning over the keys in 90 days, the CRD may have no choice but to lock the doors, as 90 days will not give them enough time to get things in place to take over the facilities.
City Goes To The Dogs...
It seems that the Quesnel City Council, values stray dogs more than long term City Employees.
In the current political battle between the CRD and the City, the City has demanded that the CRD come up with $54,000. in funding or the City will issue layoff notices to 54 City Employees at the Arena's and Rec Center. This works out to $1000. per employee, to save their jobs. In a recent decision by Council to bail out the SPCA in Quesnel, they decided to approve SPCA funding of $90,000. for the year 2004, a $70,000. increase from 2003.
As the SPCA received only 67 dogs from the City in 2003, this works out to $1400. per dog.
The Union realizes there are many elements to the dispute between the City and the CRD, but for $1000. per employee, the City could get another year to settle their differences with the CRD. We do not believe that these 54 people should be the pawns in a battle that is sure to turn ugly, between these two bullheaded political bodies.
Severance packages for these Employees could cost the City $280,000.
Strong Communities Campaign:Keeping our communities safe, healthy and strong
CUPE members believe in communities. We live, work, pay taxes and join in activities to strengthen our communities.
When something threatens our jobs, our families and our communities, we rise to defend ourselves and our neighbors.
That's what CUPE BC's Strong Communities campaign is all about.
In recent polls sanctioned by the City of Quesnel, the Quesnel people rated the service offered by our employees as excellent.
City workers make a reasonable wage, and these wages are spent in our community, on vehicles, houses, groceries and many more things. Our wages help keep Quesnel businesses in business.
In the past 10 years City Management has grown by many positions, while the actual work force has stayed the same in Public Works, has decreased positions at the Arena and Airport, and gained a few positions in support staff at City Hall and the RCMP Detachment.
Keep Quesnel Strong… Keep City Workers Working
