A conciliator has joined contract negotiations between the Town of Kearney inside and outside workers and their employer.
Both sides met virtually with a Ministry of Labour conciliator on Oct. 23.
The township has 12 workers who are part of CUPE Local 1813.
See: Kearney municipal workers say town is 'dragging its heels' in contract talks
Fran Belanger is the CUPE National Representative negotiating a new collective agreement for the workers.
The last agreement expired on April 30, 2023, and the employees have been working under the terms of the old contract for 18 months.
Belanger says there have been several meetings between both sides since the contract expired, but those were to set future negotiating dates.
“And when we would get dates scheduled, they would end up being cancelled for different reasons,” Belanger said.
Belanger says additionally it was difficult to get the employer to agree to collective bargaining dates “because there was no availability or there were other priorities.”
Belanger said virtual meetings as opposed to meeting in person were at the request of the employer.
The employees deserve a fair deal and there was a need to move forward with bargaining to resolve the outstanding issues, said Belanger adding very little headway was being made and said consequently “it was time to invite a conciliator.”
“We weren’t going to wait any longer,” she said, adding the bargaining unit considered events up to this point as a breakdown in negotiations and opted to apply for conciliation talks toward the end of last April.
Belanger said matters are moving forward with the conciliator but described progress as slow.
She says for the first time, with the assistance of a conciliator, both sides began to discuss monetary issues.
Also, a number of non-monetary issues have been agreed upon, but Belanger notes they haven’t been formally signed off on and there is still more work to do.
It’s Belanger’s opinion that this agreement is “taking much longer (to negotiate) than it ought to take” and that “employees are frustrated and tired of the wait.”
Prior to the meeting with the conciliator Belanger felt talks were dragging on although she doesn’t feel that way as much now because some monetary issues were put on the table.
Because the talks are taking a long time, Belanger says the “employees are frustrated and tired of the wait.”
“They’re confused about why it’s taking so long,” she said. “They feel that they are not being taken seriously, that there are other things that are taking priority over their bargaining.”
Belanger says recently the employees took a strike vote and voted 100 per cent to strike if they can’t get an agreement.
Both sides will meet again on Jan. 6 and Jan. 13, 2025.
Belanger says the employees are prepared to keep talking “as long as we’re working toward a deal.”
She said she can’t talk about the outstanding issues specifically but will say the employee demands are reasonable and comparable to what workers in similar situations have achieved.
The employees carry out functions such as clerical work, payroll, finances, and outdoor equipment operations.
In a prepared statement, Mayor Cheryl Philip said she is the proud mayor of Kearney and that she was issuing a statement in response to the recent news articles.
Philip says the municipality and staff are currently engaged in collective bargaining for a new agreement.
“Unlike CUPE, the town is not prepared to bargain in the media,” wrote Philip. “Collective bargaining should go on between the parties at the bargaining table. However, it is difficult to read media coverage that is simply not true.”
Philip disagrees with CUPE’s claim suggesting that bargaining has gone on for too long and has been delayed on account of management.
“Bargaining takes time,” Philip said. “Both sides of the table have, in good faith, accommodated each other's schedules. This has not been a one-sided effort.”
Philip says the town has been committed to reaching a fair deal for its employees but adds unfortunately this hasn’t happened yet.
Philip also says while trying to achieve a collective agreement, the municipality is “always conscious of our taxpayers’ interests.”
The mayor added the town continues to be prepared to meet with the help of a conciliator and is “committed to reaching an agreement with the union.”
Philip said the town “looks forward to continuing bargaining to achieve a fair agreement.”
Philip ends her statement by thanking management and employees for all their hard work in serving the community and taxpayers.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with Almaguin News. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
