Cariboo Regional District workers expanded their strike action yesterday morning (Tuesday May 21).
The workers who are members of the BC General Employees Union are now picketing the library in Williams Lake, Quesnel, and 100 Mile House.
BCGEU Treasurer Paul Finch says it’s disappointing that the Regional District is not honouring its workers and returning to the bargaining table with a reasonable offer.
CRD Chief Administrative Officer Murray Daly says the Union hasn’t reached out to them to signal that they are willing to return to the negotiation table.
Daly says he feels the workers deserve a fair wage but the CRD has to balance that with something
that’s fair for the taxpayers as well.
He says the Cariboo Regional District feels the offer they put forward reflects that and they’d like the Union to come back and bring something else to the negotiating table if they think they have something else to offer.
The BCGEU says members were pushed to kick off strike action on May 13th and since then they’ve been expanding their picket lines as the CRD has failed to come back to the workers with a fair offer.
The Union says the workers have been advocating for inflation-matching protections which will help offset financial pressures if the Region’s cost-of-living skyrockets again.
On Thursday May 9th unionized Cariboo Regional District staff members rejected a proposed 3-year, 11 percent wage increase, 5 percent in 2023 and then 3 percent in each of the next two years.
The CRD said strike action will not impact Fire Departments, their landfills and transfer stations, operations, maintenance, and emergency repairs of their 16 water and sewer systems.
The Regional District’s Emergency Operations Centre will still function in the event of an emergency and work will continue to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season and respond to current wildfire activity.
The CRD Unionized employees provide services to Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House and other surrounding communities.
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