Sufficient ability one of the sticking points
The City of Moose Jaw, Sask. has walked away from the conciliation process and said it is finished bargaining, according to the union.
“If the employer would be prepared to return to conciliation and bargain in good faith, the union would be prepared to do so as well,” said Stacey Landin, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 9.
In response, the provincially-appointed conciliator told the minister that he was unable to reach a deal.
The city’s consultant, Bill Humeny, said at the bargaining table that he will not move off the employer’s proposal for standby or its proposal to remove sufficient ability from the posting language, said the union.
“The only options the city is putting forward are mandatory standby or contracting out the work of the bargaining unit. Neither of these are acceptable options,” said Landin.
The other major concession the city is seeking is on sufficient ability language, according to the union. Sufficient ability is important as many members have been provided the opportunity to advance within the city due to the ability to be promoted when they can sufficiently perform the duties of the position, even if they do not have formal qualifications for the position.
The employer’s application to amend the certification order to remove supervisory members from the bargaining unit is in the hands of the Labour Relations Board. Neither side is in a legal position to take job action or lock out workers.
