Municipal workers kicked off their annual meeting with a long list of gains made during the 2024 municipal elections. Municipal governments across Saskatchewan all had significant changes in Mayor and Council thanks to CUPE’s organizing and political action.

Strong, engaged locals are resisting concessions and fighting for gains at the bargaining table. CUPE 456 recently translated a 93% strike vote to a tentative agreement. CUPE 882 had a long contentious strike with a Mayor who actively worked against worker interests. They translated their member engagement into action on the doorstep, working to elect a new Mayor and council.

Carter Antoine from Local 456 shared: “When I was hired at the City of Melville, I was told that we would be getting a contract in short order. It was a year before we came to an agreement. I’d never been a union member before. Going forward I will remember this experience and spread the word to other folks in other locals. We showed our strength as a local. Showing up every time we were asked to, showing up in force and most of all showing up in pink. Showing our strength early in bargaining was very important to getting an agreement. Flexing our political muscle got us a better deal.”

Mat Derworiz from CUPE 882 Prince Albert shared his experience:

“We had strong motivation. We understood that if our mayor and council were re-elected we would be facing concessions at the bargaining table.

Our first step was to build consensus in our local. We needed to be united. Find folks that can bring your members together. United locals are strong locals. Our locals need to know what is going on and feel like they are the union, not that they have a union.”

Sharon Schaefer, Acting President, Saskatchewan Municipal Employees Committee reminded everyone:

“Municipal workers provide the services that are the cornerstone of people’s lives, from wastewater to road ways to clerks at civic facilities. It has a profound effect on people and their families. We know that by unions working together with elected officials we can build strong and fair communities for everyone.”

The CUPE Saskatchewan Municipal Employees Committee represents over 5,000 CUPE members in over 30 municipal locals across the province.

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