CUPE Local 387

07/17/2024

As some of you may be aware, one of our retired members, Gordy Robinson passed away earlier this year. He worked for years in the engineering department and has served as the Vice President on our union.
A celebration of life is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 17th at 1:00 p.m. at the Jolly Mac Pub.

11/22/2023

For the most recent bargaining update, please take a look at our website.

A quick update to let everyone know the City, Library and Police Board have all ratified the tentative agreement. This is the last step in the bargaining process, and officially concludes this roun…

10/18/2023

***TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED***

We are pleased to announce that today we reached a tentative agreement with the City, Library, and Police Board.

The bargaining committee wants to thank members for their ongoing support during this round of negotiations. This was a long and challenging round of bargaining, but we feel confident that we were able to negotiate a new contract that is in line with other settlements in our region and addresses your key priorities.

A ratification meeting will be held virtually on Zoom tomorrow, Wednesday October 18, from 5:30 – 6:30 PM. Advanced registration is required. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrcO-sqzosH9EKsPgz3TGhSY_A73GKEeh6 #/registration

Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the meeting. A few notes:

1. We need to make sure everyone in the meeting is eligible to vote – please double check the name displayed when you sign into Zoom is the same name the employer has on record. (if there are any challenges with this please send us a private message)

2. Test your network connection in advance.

3. Each member should log in on their own device so they can participate in the vote.

4. Consider joining the meeting on a computer vs. cell phone because the voting function is more easily accessible on a computer. (but you can vote from either device)

5. The call-in option will not be available for this meeting – as members won’t be able to vote if they have called in.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Ratification Meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

10/17/2023

UPDATE: negotiations resume tomorrow

Today we had an unprecedented number of members participate in the strike vote, and your bargaining committee wants to thank you for this important show of support and solidarity. Your support matters and is making a significant difference at the bargaining table.

Negotiations with the employer are resuming tomorrow morning (Tuesday October 17), and your bargaining committee is doing everything we can to reach a deal at the bargaining table. As part of this effort, we are postponing the release of the strike vote result for the time being.

There is still a significant amount of work to be done before reaching a tentative agreement, but we continue to believe the most effective way to negotiate a deal is directly with the City, Library and Police Board. We also believe that both parties must prioritize negotiations to reach a deal.

Please watch for another bargaining update following our Tuesday meeting.

10/16/2023

VOTING IS OPEN - VOTE YES TODAY!

A quick reminder that the strike vote is today (Monday October 16), and you can now vote.

Your bargaining committee needs your support.

We’re asking for this strike mandate so it is clear to the employers that all workers stand behind the bargaining committee. A strong YES vote lets the employers know that you want your workplace issues addressed in a meaningful way. A strong strike vote also tells the employers that workers can’t wait any longer for a new contract and that negotiations need to be a priority.

Voting is in-person only, and there are two voting stations:

1. Sapperton Pensioners Hall (318 Keary Street) from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm

2. CUPE 387 Office (107-258 6th Street) from 7:00 am until 4:30 pm

The most effective way for you to support the fight for a fair contract is to vote YES today. All employees in the bargaining unit are eligible to vote. Voting is done by secret ballot. You can vote at either location. You can vote before work, on a break, or after work. You cannot vote during work hours.

Your support matters and a strong strike vote will make a significant difference at the bargaining table.

10/15/2023

BARGAINING UPDATE

After announcing our strike vote the employers contacted the union to resume negotiations. We spent Friday and Saturday bargaining directly with the employer. With the outside negotiator not at the table there was a shift in tone at the bargaining table and we were able to have some important progressive discussions about your key bargaining priorities.

While we’ve made some progress, we still have not reached agreement on several key issues and there are significant barriers we need to address before reaching a deal.

We need to keep the momentum we’ve created going so we can conclude this round of bargaining. A strong strike vote will help carry that momentum into the bargaining session we have scheduled next Tuesday (October 17).

The strike vote is going ahead as planned tomorrow. Your bargaining committee still needs your support. We are asking you to vote YES tomorrow to make sure that we can address the outstanding issues remaining and reach a tentative agreement in a timely manner.

A strong strike vote remains an important step towards negotiating a new contract.

Vote YES, tomorrow Monday October 16, and let’s make sure we get over the finish line and secure a new contract that benefits all workers.

WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

There will be two voting stations on Monday October 16:

1. Sapperton Pensioners Hall (318 Keary Street) from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm

2. CUPE 387 Office (107-258 6th Street) from 7:00 am until 4:30 pm

Voting is done by secret ballot. You can vote at either location. You can vote before work, on a break, or after work. You cannot vote during work hours.

10/11/2023

STRIKE VOTE - OCTOBER 16

After almost a full year of bargaining we still have not been able to negotiate a new collective agreement with the City, Library and Police Board. The employers have continually refused to engage in meaningful discussions about your key issues and that has limited the progress we’ve been able to make towards a new contract.

We still have no agreement on any of your priorities including:

- Wage increases
- Benefit improvements
- Working from home language
- Modified work week/shift language
- Improvements to auxiliary rights (stability for workers)

At our last mediation session, the most important bargaining session to date, key members of the employers bargaining team chose not to attend. We are disappointed in the lack of leadership the employers have shown and their reluctance to negotiate a new contract with their workers. The employers’ proposals continue to demonstrate that their primary motivation is to negotiate less for you than what other workers in our region have already negotiated.

Your bargaining committee needs your support – we are asking you to vote yes on Monday October 16. A successful strike vote tells the employers that workers stand behind the bargaining committee and that your bargaining priorities have not changed.

There will be two voting stations on Monday October 16:

1. Location: Sapperton Pensioners Hall (318 Keary Street)

Time: 11:00 am until 6:00 pm

2. CUPE 387 Office (107-258 6th Street)

Time: 7:00 am until 4:30 pm

Voting is done by secret ballot. You can vote at either location. You can vote before work, on a break, or after work. You cannot vote during work hours.

STRIKE VOTE INFORMATION SESSIONS

In advance of the strike vote on Monday, we will be hosting two information sessions (one in-person and one online) on Thursday October 12:

1. Location: Sapperton Pensioners Hall (318 Keary Street)

Time: 4:00-5:30 pm

2. Location: Online - (***After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.)

Time: 6:00-7:00 pm

Each information session will start with a detailed bargaining update, including specific information about the employers’ bargaining proposals and position, and the rest of the meeting will be dedicated to answering your questions.

You can also check out the strike vote FAQ on our website for more information on why a strike vote is important, how a strike works and what you will need to do to receive strike pay.

YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

We want to thank you again for your support during this round of bargaining. We would not be seeking a strike mandate if we saw another viable path to negotiating a new contract.

Additional details about the strike vote will be sent out later this week. We strongly encourage all members to attend one of the information sessions this Thursday (October 12) to make sure you have all the information you need to vote yes on Monday October 16.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

What is a strike vote? A strike vote must be held before a strike is legal. The vote is done by secret ballot and all employees in the bargaining unit can participate in the vote. A successful stri…

10/06/2023

SUMMARY FROM THIS WEEK’S MEDIATION

Yesterday we met with the employers and a mediator from the BC Labour Relations Board to try and make progress negotiating a new contract. We were hopeful that the assistance of a neutral third party would help us get closer to a long overdue tentative agreement.

Unfortunately, we made no progress.

The employers came unprepared to negotiate, and without prior notice, both the CAO and the Director of Engineering did not attend the mediation - the most important day of bargaining to date. Their absence showed they don’t view negotiating a fair collective agreement with their employees’ to be a priority. The lack of leadership is disappointing and demonstrates a clear lack of respect for staff.

The union gave the employers a framework for settlement on September 15, in an effort to make as much progress as possible during our first mediation session. However, instead of providing a response to the framework at the start of the day, so the parties could move forward with negotiations, the CAO directed the employers’ bargaining team to provide the union with the organization’s vision statement. We were only provided with a response to our framework at 6 pm. After providing us their counterproposal, the employers let us know they were done for day and not willing to continue negotiating.

The employers’ response included a set of proposals aimed to weaken the benefits and rights in our existing agreement. The employers' unwillingness to negotiate an agreement is evident.

At our special membership meetings, we heard that the wage increases negotiated must adequately address the high cost of living we face in this region and must be in line with other regional settlements.

The employers have demonstrated that they aren’t willing to prioritize a timely agreement with the same wage increases other workers in this region have already received. The employers last offer represents a significant step backwards and it has left the parties further apart than we’ve been in months.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We clearly communicated to the employers that if we were not able to make significant progress at our first mediation session that we would be going back to our membership to secure a strike mandate.

A strong strike mandate tells our employers that your priorities haven’t changed and that our key issues need to be addressed in this round of negotiations.

Our next step is to schedule a strike vote. We are still working out the details of when and where the strike vote will take place, and we will be in touch with more information next week.

The process of taking a strike might be new to you and you may have questions or concerns. We’ve put together a Strike Vote Q&A which can be found on our website, and if you have other questions or concerns the document doesn’t answer please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support. Your support matters and will make an impact at the bargaining table.

10/05/2023

https://cupe387.ca/2023/08/29/strike-vote-question-and-answers/

What is a strike vote? A strike vote must be held before a strike is legal. The vote is done by secret ballot and all employees in the bargaining unit can participate in the vote. A successful stri…

09/28/2023

Mediation Update

We have received confirmed dates for mediation from the BC Labour Relations Board (LRB). Our first mediation session is scheduled for next Thursday, October 5 and we have additional dates at the beginning of November.

Our goal is to make as much progress as possible on the first day of mediation. Your bargaining committee provided the employers a framework for settlement on September 15. We hope that the assistance of a mediator and this framework for settlement will help bring the parties closer together and reach a tentative agreement without further delay.

Recent Regional Settlements

CUPE Local 389 and the City of North Vancouver ratified a new three-year agreement earlier this week. The agreement provides wage increases of 3 percent in 2022, 4.5 percent in 2023 and 4 percent in 2024. It also includes a one-time, 4.5 percent inflationary support payment applied on 2022 wages as well as meaningful improvements to address the high cost of living and recruitment and retention challenges.

Next Steps

We are optimistic that we will be able to reach a deal through the mediation process. However, we are prepared for plan b should mediation not be successful.

We have been in contact with IBEW (the union that also represents workers employed by the City of New Westminster), and we are fully prepared to collaborate on conducting a strike vote if the employers come unprepared on October 5.

Given the regional bargaining context and the fact we have been negotiating for almost a full year now, we need to see some significant movement from the employers next week. If we cannot make significant progress towards negotiating a new collective agreement, then we will likely need your support in achieving a strong strike mandate before heading back to mediation in early November.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us by email at [email protected]

09/19/2023

Please note that the most recent bargaining update has been posted on the website. It has also been emailed out to all the personal emails we have on file for our members. If you are a member and have not received it, please send us an email with your personal email to add to the list at [email protected].

City of New Westminster

08/16/2023

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Bargaining Update Meetings August 24

The bargaining committee is hosting three important bargaining update meetings on Thursday, August 24. Please do your best to attend one of the sessions, as we want all members to have a better understanding of where we are at in the bargaining process.

We will start the meeting by giving a detailed update to all members on this round of bargaining and there will also be time to hear your concerns and answer any questions you have. We’ll also discuss ways members can support the bargaining committee moving into the fall, and what our negotiating strategy looks like moving forward.

Join us in-person at 4:15 or 5:15, or virtually on Zoom at 6:30.

The two in-person meetings will be held at:

Centennial Lodge in Queens Park
3rd Avenue New Westminster

For the virtual meeting advanced registration is required. Registration will be open until 4 pm on Tuesday August 22. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

It has been almost a full year since we started bargaining and we know that negotiations are taking longer than you may have expected. This has been a difficult round of negotiations but know that we are doing our best to conclude negotiations in a timely manner.

STAY UP TO DATE ON BARGAINING The best way to make sure you receive all future bargaining updates is to regularly monitor the CUPE 387 website and also ensure CUPE 387 has your contact information by emailing your personal (non-work) email address to [email protected].

City of New Westminster