Thousands of City of Edmonton workers are prepared to walk off the job on Thursday morning, after strike notice was issued earlier this week following a breakdown in contract negotiations between the city and Civic Services Union 52 (CSU 52).
No progress has been made between the two sides as union members plan to strike at 11 a.m. Thursday barring a last-minute resolution. The city said Tuesday it is hoping for a quick resolution, but preparing for a prolonged disruption.
Here are the city services that will be affected by the pending job action:
Police services
- All front counters at EPS locations will be closed except for the downtown branch. Anyone needing assistance can call the non-emergency line at 780-423-4567
- Public access to the police-seized vehicle storage lot will be limited to 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday to Friday. Debit or credit card payment will be the only methods accepted. No cash
- All requests for police information checks will be suspended, including local police record checks, civil fingerprinting and alarm services
- The office at the Nexus Business Park will be closed
- The EPS property and exhibit section will be limited to 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday to Friday
- Recruitment of police officers will continue but there may be timing issues. Applicants are asked to stay in touch with their file manager
- Active public postings and all civilian recruitment will be suspended
The Edmonton Police Service said it is prioritizing the redeployment of non-frontline workers to minimize public safety impacts when it comes to 911 service.
“The highest priority is to ensure that (911) emergency call response times meet current levels and that personnel have been redeployed to work as emergency communications officers,” the EPS said.
Recreation, sport and leisure centres
All City of Edmonton recreation, sport and leisure centres will be closed to the general public except:
- Any pre-arranged rentals/bookings, including arena bookings, pool bookings, gymnasium bookings and room bookings, as well as Joint Use Agreements (JUA)
- All registered Learn to Swim and Aquatic and Safety Certification programs, including JUA Learn to Swim and Water Safety services
- Health and wellness operators; e.g. Physical Therapists, Massage Therapists etc. (as per their desired levels of operations)
- Food service vendors (as per their desired levels of operations)
- Partner leased and licensed spaces (as per their desired levels of operations)
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City recreation and leisure centres will not be accepting:
- New rentals or bookings
- Payments or processing refunds
- There will be no telephone, email or in-person customer service at any city recreation or leisure centre. Refunds or re-booking will not take place until after the labour disruption is over
Parks, attractions, arts and heritage facilities
All drop-in and registered programs are cancelled, including school field trips at Edmonton Valley Zoo, Muttart Conservatory, John Janzen Nature Centre, John Walter Museum and City Arts Centre.
The Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre is closed to the public and available for tenant access only in addition to pre-arranged rentals.
All City of Edmonton attractions will be closed to the general public with the exception of:
- Pre-arranged bookings and rentals
- Cafe Bloom located in Muttart will remain open
Fort Edmonton Park
Fort Edmonton Park said it will remain open during the strike, but with some service disruptions.
The Indigenous Peoples Experience winter admission weekends will be closed for the remainder of the season. People who already bought tickets will receive an automatic refund.
Public events and activities will continue, including the upcoming screening of Titanic at the Capitol Theatre and the 50th anniversary celebration on May 18.
Anyone with an upcoming booking at Fort Edmonton Park will be contacted by a member of the facility’s team to discuss any concerns.
Libraries
All Edmonton Public Library locations will close at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
All EPL classes, programs, events and services will be cancelled over the next week with more cancellations possible as the situation evolves, EPL said on Monday.
Customers can still access EPL’s digital resources.
Anyone with EPL materials on loan should keep them until the libraries reopen.
Public transit
- In-person sales at recreation centres and the Edmonton Tower Service Centre will be unavailable
- No new Ride Transit Program applications will be accepted
- The ETS@Work program will not accept new program participants
Customer service
- 311 will experience significant disruption. The 311 phone service is limited to urgent public safety and bylaw matters only and some services have been removed from the 311 app
- The Citizen and New Arrivals Information Centre in city hall will be closed
- There will be no new intake for the property tax monthly payment plan, and property assessment service support will be unavailable for property owners
Business and economy
The majority of the city’s permitting and licensing program will be paused. There will be no telephone, email or service centre support for inspections.
The following inspection services will be paused:
- Zoning bylaw complaints
- Development permit inspections
- Landscaping inspections
- Lot grading inspections
City government
FOIP requests will not be processed until after the job action ends.
Public hearings will continue.
Animal Care and Control Centre
The Animal Care and Control Centre will be closed to the public with the exception of:
- Animals injured or in medical distress will be picked up by peace officers. Call 311 to request a pickup
- Animals that are sick, injured or in distress can be brought to Guardian Veterinary Centre or Vet ER
- If your pet is in the care of Animal Care and Control, email acccsupport@edmonton.ca to make arrangements to reclaim your pet
- In-person pet licensing is suspended. Licences can be purchased online
Cemeteries
- Beechmount Cemetery will remain open and provide interment (burial) services for families and clients who have pre-planned, existing arrangements
- All other services are unavailable
The city said the following important services will continue with little to no disruption:
- Edmonton Fire Rescue Services
- Edmonton Transit Service
- Dedicated Accessible Transit Service (DATS)
- Construction on capital projects
- Snow clearing
- Waste collection
- Council and Committee meetings (for items identified as critical for ongoing operations)
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