Finance minister announced cuts in provincial budget
A union representing more than 1,700 SaskPower workers told the province on Nov. 8 that it will not accept lower wages.
Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) voted 80 per cent against accepting a contract that would lower their overall compensation by 3.5 per cent, followed by three years with no wage increases, said the union.
Earlier this year, Saskatchewan’s finance minister said compensation for public sector workers would be cut in order to balance the provincial budget.
“At this point we’re hoping to get back to the table and achieve a fair memorandum of agreement that can be supported by our membership,” said Jason Tibbs, business manager for IBEW Local 2067.
The electrical workers’ contract expired on Dec. 31, 2016.
They work in power line transmission and distribution, safety, metering services, and at power plants.
IBEW is the first public-sector union in Saskatchewan to officially reject a contract with the province’s mandate to roll back wages at the negotiating table.
