REGINA: CUPE Local 7 bargaining committee has served written notice to the Employer and the Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety that the union and the City of Regina have reached an impasse in the current round of negotiations.

“After 13 days of negotiations, CUPE Local 7 concluded last week that the parties had reached a point where a tentative agreement could not be reached without the assistance of a mediator or conciliator,” said Mark Enright, Local 7 President. “We did not take this decision lightly, but the employer committee is refusing to address many of the union’s key priorities.”

One of the biggest sticking points is a proposal from the union to have a “No Discrimination” clause added to the collective agreement, which would commit both the union and the City of Regina from discriminating against employees by reason of the prohibited grounds in the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, or for participation in the union.

“Adding a “No Discrimination” clause to the collective agreement just makes sense,” added Enright. “These clauses are found in the vast majority of municipal agreements including Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, North Battleford, Estevan and Weyburn. It is time for the City of Regina to join these ranks and ensure our members are protected from discrimination in the workplace.”

The union is also seeking a reasonable wage increase, a modest enhancement to the mileage reimbursement for employees who have to use their own vehicles to do city business on a daily basis, and paid bereavement leave to match what out-of-scope employees receive.

CUPE Local 7 represents over 200 inside workers at the City of Regina. The Local’s collective agreement expired December 31, 2015.

For more information, visit the CUPE National website.

Links: CUPE Local 7

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