Back to SearchMay 7, 2024
24-10
BCGEU serves strike notice, CRD initiates last offer vote to employees
Williams Lake, BC – The Cariboo Regional District (“CRD”) has been served with a 72-hour strike notice from the BC General and Service Employees Union (“BCGEU”), which represents the regional district’s unionized employees. In order to avert a strike, the CRD has initiated a last offer vote as permitted under the BC Labour Relations Code. A last offer vote permits the CRD’s unionized employees with a fair opportunity to directly vote on the CRD’s most recent offer to BCGEU’s bargaining committee.
The final issue of contention is wage increases, which has stalled negotiations. BCGEU’s executive has been intent on strike action despite the CRD adjusting its offers at the negotiating table.
“We are committed to the Collective Bargaining process and reaching a fair agreement, and are empowering our employees to consider our latest offer,” said Murray Daly, Chief Administrative Officer, “The deal on the table represents a fair commitment to address concerns about the cost of living while still providing certainty to our taxpayers – which include our employees – about the costs of CRD services.”
The last offer vote will be conducted by the BC Labour Relations Board with the CRD’s unionized employees from 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday. Because the strike notice will be in effect as of 9:53 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, members of the public should expect some disruption to CRD services.
The strike will not impact the operation of the CRD’s fire departments, water and sewer systems, or landfills and transfer stations. The Regional District’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) will also function in the event of an emergency.
Libraries will be closed on Thursday, May 9, since the strike will be in effect before regular opening times. Additionally, unionized employees who leave their designated workplaces after 9:53 a.m. on Thursday may not cross BCGEU’s picket lines, which could impact service delivery for specific departments, particularly building inspection, bylaw enforcement and planning services.
More information about the strike, service delivery impacts, and the results of the last offer vote will be made available at a later time. To stay up to date on regional district news, you can sign up for our e-newsletter online at www.cariboord.ca/subscribe.
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