A question lingering at Edmonton City Hall over contract talks with unions is whether what has happened at the Alberta legislature this week will have a ripple effect on the city.
City of Edmonton unions were shocked at an announcement by the Kenney government on Tuesday.
The UCP government will ask arbitrators to impose an average two per cent wage cut in 30 upcoming public sector wage cases, although the amount will vary. That’s down from a zero per cent offer that was made earlier this year.
Edmonton’s civic unions are also in negotiation and the city took its cue from the province and has made its own opening stance a zero per cent offer.
“We were given an offer before and I’m not sure if it’s still going to be in effect or not,” confided Mark Tetterington, the president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569, ahead of a in-private bargaining update that will be given to city council on Nov 5.
In early September, the City of Edmonton and members of two unions ratified collective agreements for 2019-2021.
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The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 (DATS) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1007 reached new collective agreements in which the wage terms amounted to a 0 per cent increase effective December 2018, 0 per cent effective December 2019, one per cent in December 2020, and an additional 0.5 per cent in June 2021.
The city says negotiations are ongoing with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 30 and Civic Service Union Local 52. The previous collective agreements with those unions expired in December 2018.
The announcement by the province “shocked” Tetterington.
“We knew it was going to be a gloomy budget by the province, but we didn’t think it was going to be near this bad,” he said.
“I think it’s going to affect every Albertan, every Edmontonian and I think it’s too harsh of a cut.”
The four-year, 1.5 per cent increase that was presented to CSU 52, as well as the main transit union and CUPE Local 30 — Edmonton’s three biggest civic unions — mirrors what has been accepted by two other bargaining groups with the city, the IBEW and the DATS unit within the transit union.
Tetterington said he’s not sure if the new terms that are being talked about with the province will change the view of city workers.
“That’ll be up to our membership,” he said.
Tuesday’s bargaining update will be part of a day-long budget discussion for city council.
“It’s going to be a gloomy budget I think,” Tetterington said. “We’re going to have to look at what’s coming next I guess.
“I think next year, I’m guessing zeros, and I’m hoping it’s zeros, and it’s going to be major for all of the unions and all of the employees.”
In related cost-cutting and contract news, the province passed an order in council this week to reduce their pension contributions for all managers from 17.2 per cent to 13.2 per cent.