The City of Saint John, the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners and CUPE Local 486, the union representing the city’s inside workers, have all ratified a working agreement, immediately ending the strike, which has been ongoing since Sept. 12.
A tentative agreement was reached on Friday between negotiators. The union local ratified the agreement Monday, while common council and the board of police commissioners voted on Tuesday.
The striking workers included clerical, administrative and support staff as well as workers in the city’s 911 operations centre.
The previous contract, which had been on the bargaining table since July 2022, had average wages between $65,000 and $75,000, and a full pension, according to the city.
On Tuesday, city commissioner of human resources Stephanie Hossack gave councillors an overview of the terms of the agreement, which includes wage provisions and other benefits.
The wage increase is as follows:
- A one-time payment of $750 made to eligible employees this week.
- A two per cent increase effective Jan. 1, 2022.
- A two per cent increase effective July 1, 2022.
- A two per cent increase effective Jan. 1, 2023.
- A two per cent increase effective July 1, 2023.
- A 1.6 per cent increase effective Jan. 1, 2024.
- A 1.6 per cent increase effective July 1, 2024.
- A payment of $1,500 effective Jan. 1, 2024.
- A 2.25 per cent increase effective Jan. 1, 2025.
- A 2.4 per cent increase effective Jan. 1, 2026.
At Tuesday night’s council meeting, the agreement was unanimously approved.
Tense relations remain
The bargaining process has not been without its challenges.
CUPE Local 486 was accused by the city multiple times of blocking garbage trucks, an accusation the union denied, and the City of Saint John even obtained a temporary injunction against the striking workers.
The city also temporarily paused garbage collection for a period of time during the strike because of what it alleged to be “illegal actions” by CUPE Local 486 pickets.
The strike action also caused turmoil among city councillors.
Councillors Joanna Killen and Brent Harris were stripped of their council committee duties at last week’s meeting, pending an investigation by an independent law firm into their conduct.
Mayor Donna Reardon alleged the two councillors went against the city’s Code of Conduct by posting on social media showing them meeting with striking workers and holding up picket signs.
This action does not bar them from common council meetings and the two were in attendance and voted at Tuesday’s meeting.
In a Tuesday morning news release from the union announcing the ratification of the agreement, the local called on the reinstatement of Killen and Harris with full rights and privileges.
The release also said during the strike, “the City’s actions and behaviour have often been at odds with fair labour practices and respect for those involved.”
“The City will have to mend fences with its staff. Their actions and aggressive communications have left many with a bitter taste,” said Brittany Doyle, CUPE Local 486 president, in the news release.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie, who was filling in for Reardon, acknowledged the difficulty of strikes and said “going back is certainly uncomfortable for everybody.”
“But I think that our senior leadership team has put in a plan to try to make it as good as we can,” he said.
“We certainly are very thankful that this is over and that our employees will come back and we’ll start mending all the fences.”
This story was originally published in CBC News on Oct. 11, 2023.
Hannah Rudderham Portfolio 