YELLOWKNIFE — Unionized staff with the City of Yellowknife are gearing up for a strike and the city is preparing to lock out employees as the two sides try to reach a new collective agreement.
The city and Union of Northern Workers, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, were in mediation Monday and were expected to continue negotiations Tuesday.
The union gave notice to the city Saturday saying that if an agreement is not reached, staff would go on strike Wednesday.
"Our members, they're ready for job action on Wednesday if it comes to it. We, the union — we're ready as well," said Lorraine Rousseau, regional executive vice-president of Public Service Alliance of Canada North. "I'll be on the picket line if a fair deal isn't reached by then."
The city responded to the notice by saying it would lock out staff at that time.
Both the city and union said they are committed to the bargaining process and hope to negotiate an agreement.
"We are always optimistic and hopeful," Rousseau said. "We just would like to be able to reach a fair deal."
City manager Sheila Bassi-Kellett said the city and Public Service Alliance of Canada have a long history of successful bargaining dating back to the 1980s.
"Our main interest continues to be to negotiate an agreement that's fair, and that's respectful to our staff, and that's affordable," she said.
The city said a work stoppage would see the closure of the public library, pool, community arena and dump to the public, as well as the reduction of other services. Emergency services, including fire and ambulance, would continue.
Rousseau said a strike could have meant work action, rotating strikes or a full-out strike, adding that workers don't want a disruption of services.
"Right now they're not leaving the workers with very much options if they're deciding to just lock us out," she said of the city. "The labour dispute at this point is now squarely on the shoulders of the employer."
The previous collective agreement expired at the end of 2021. Collective bargaining between the city and union broke down late last year and the parties entered conciliation.
After the union rejected a final offer from the city, unionized employees voted to strike last month.
The city and union agreed to re-enter mediated negotiations this week.
The city's offer included a two per cent salary increase for staff in 2022 and a further two per cent increase for 2023. Rousseau said the union was hoping for a more competitive wage, noting inflation rose seven per cent in Yellowknife last year.
The city said it is disappointed with the strike notice from the union, adding that it would result in reduced services.
The union, however, said the strike notice was a legal requirement and the lockout notice “casts serious doubts” on the city’s intentions to reach an agreement. It said following the strike notice, the parties still had the option to extend mediation.
Bassi-Kellett said the city responded with a lockout notice as there's a lot of uncertainty around how a strike notice could affect city services. She added the two parties could still rescind their notices and extend negotiations if an agreement isn't reached before Wednesday.
"I think any suggestion that the city's notice is different than the union's notice, that's not accurate at all," she said. "The strike notice came first and if that had not come, the city would not have been contemplating issuing lockout notice."
The Union of Northern Workers and Rousseau said the lockout notice is part of a pattern of bullying and intimidation tactics by the employer.
The union said it has filed a grievance and an unfair labour practice complaint against the city, after the city manager sent two emails to staff in the lead-up to the strike vote regarding the negotiations, which it views as interference.
Bassi-Kellett, however, said her practice is to be open and transparent with staff and she regularly sends emails with updates on what's happening at the city.
"I think it's really important that staff know that their employer is thinking of them, that we're providing factual information," she said.
"I'm puzzled by the concern of the union and I don't really appreciate how they're perceiving it in that tone."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2023.
Emily Blake, The Canadian Press
