On Labour Day, we are reminded of what workers’ unions can achieve when we mobilize and take action. Labour day began and continues as a demonstration of workers’ power joining together to secure a better, fairer future. From the right to join a union and workers’ movement to demand a shorter work day and week in the very beginnings, to health and safety standards and many more rights often taken for granted, to the many challenges we face today, workers united in solidarity will always be the driving force for justice and improving the lives of workers.

This Labour Day arrives at a time of many more recent and current strikes as workers around Canada and the world say enough is enough to massive wealth inequality, corporate greed, and government underfunding and privatizing. We must all show our solidarity with courageous workers taking action through strikes to raise the bar for everyone!

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Join Saskatchewan’s unions to celebrate Labour Day with community BBQs on Monday, September 4, 2023!

Click to read more about Labour Day events near you.

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CUPE 882 members representing the inside workers at the City of Prince Albert have voted to reject the employer’s last offer vote.

The city asked the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board to conduct a vote on their last offer to the union. Ballots had to be received by August 24 and were counted on August 29.

“The results are clear: our members will not settle for the city’s lowball offer. We demand that the city come back to the table prepared to negotiate a fair deal,” said Cara Stelmaschuk, Vice President of CUPE 882.

CUPE 882 has been in a legal strike position since August 10, 2023 and has been working to rule including refusing to train managers, co-workers, and contractors and dressing down by foregoing dress code policies, conventions, and standards.

“The union will be meeting to discuss next steps, but a full withdrawal of services will be in the cards if the city does not provide bargaining dates immediately,” concluded Stelmaschuk.

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CUPE’s National President Mark Hancock attended a rally at Prince Albert City Hall to show support for CUPE 882 members. Over 70 members and allies were in attendance to call for the city to get back to the bargaining table.

“CUPE 882 members work hard to provide the residents of Prince Albert quality public services. We keep the City of Prince Albert running. We help you pay your bills, keep your kids safe at pools and playgrounds, and support crucial city operations. And we deserve wages that keep up with inflation,” said Cara Stelmaschuk, Vice President of CUPE 882. “Enough is enough. If the Mayor and City Council can give themselves wage increases that account for inflationary pressures, they should be willing to offer the same for their workers.”

The City of Prince Albert is asking their inside municipal workers to accept offers that are well below the rate of inflation and amount to a wage cut. Meanwhile, between 2017 and 2021, compensation for the Mayor and City Council has increased by 20%, more than double what CUPE 882 members received during the same period.

“We want to make sure that this mayor, council and management know that it is our members who make this city run,” said Mark Hancock, National President of CUPE. “To this mayor and council – it isn’t just the members of CUPE 882 you are taking on – you are taking on all of the CUPE members in Saskatchewan and you are taking on all 715,000 CUPE members from coast to coast.”

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CUPE Saskatchewan calls on the Sask Party government and Minister of Education to rescind its policy announcement of August 22, 2023, and engage in meaningful consultation.

The following statement by Judy Henley, President of CUPE Saskatchewan, was released in response to the announcement by the Minister of Education Dustin Duncan.

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Prince Albert City Council held an emergency meeting to approve increasing the wages for out-of-scope supervisors. CUPE 882 members and allies were on hand to witness the proceedings. The local has significant concerns with the rhetoric from councillors and city administration, as well as the misleading information they are sharing by other means.

City representatives spoke about the labour uncertainty stemming from a potential full withdrawal of services by CUPE 882. However, the report did not mention that the employer walked away from the bargaining table after just eight days over the course of a few months.

The union was hopeful that the mandatory conciliation process with the Labour Relations Board appointed conciliator would result in some discussion, but the city’s representatives refused to meet with us face to face. Conciliation broke down the same day it started.

“We want to be clear: the city is refusing to bargain. And their comments during the emergency meeting made it clear they have little interest in coming together to reach a fair deal,” said Allan McKeand, a city employee and a spokesperson for CUPE 882.

“The union was also concerned that city administration was not able to answer basic questions from councillors about the cost rationale for rejecting the union’s counteroffer.” When asked directly what the cost of a one percent increase for these workers is, the City Manager said they do not have the answer.

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CUPE Saskatchewan’s Indigenous Council was proud to join the 2023 Back to Batoche Days, which drew a record crowd of over 40,000 people for the annual celebrations of the Métis Nation in Saskatchewan on July 20 – 23, 2023.

This year’s festival theme was Year of the Youth at Batoche – celebrating the future generations of the Métis Nation. The festival features the Métis fiddle and the Red River Jig, voyageur games, chuck wagon racing, sports and contemporary games, rodeo, Métis traditional food and artisans, storytelling and traditional teachings, the Michif language, and much more!

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Registration is now open for the annual CUPE Saskatchewan Indigenous Peoples’ Conference to be held on November 16 – 17, 2023, at Wanuskewin Heritage Park.

Early registration deadline is October 16, 2023. 

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD:

• Conference Call – CUPE SK Indigenous Peoples’ Conference 2023
• Registration Form –  CUPE SK Indigenous Peoples’ Conference 2023

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After weeks of the employer refusing to get back to bargaining, CUPE 882 workers have reached an impasse with the City of Prince Albert and are set to strike. Prince Albert’s municipal workers are preparing for job action, up to and including a full withdrawal of services as early as August 10, 2023.

The city’s offer would leave city workers with less purchasing power at a time when everything is getting more expensive,” said Tammy Vermette, president of CUPE 882. “Despite the rhetoric from the City of Prince Albert, this offer does not address the crushing cost-of-living and instead asks their workers to do more with less.”

After employees rejected the city’s final offer, the city has refused to meet with the union. The mandatory conciliation process was not successful and ended in half a day.

While city workers have accepted offers that do not keep pace with the rate of inflation, the Mayor of Prince Albert and City Council have seen their compensation increase by 20% from 2016 to 2021, double the increases received by city inside workers during this period.

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At a meeting held on June 26, CUPE 882 members representing City of Prince Albert inside workers voted 79% in favour of job action, up to and including a full withdrawal of services.

CUPE 882 members have been without a contract since December 2021.

“Our members are being ignored,” said Tammy Vermette, president of CUPE 882. “Municipalities across the province have been able to reach fair agreements that recognize the crushing cost-of-living, and still, the City of Prince Albert refuses to keep our pay on pace with inflation.”

The most recent offer from the city would result in a significant reduction of purchasing power for city employees in the first two years of the agreement. The previous two rounds of bargaining resulted in employees losing 2.65% of their purchasing power. After employees rejected the city’s final offer, the city has refused to meet with the union and continue bargaining.

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