By Brenna Owen
The District of Squamish, B.C., and the union representing certain workers say members have voted to ratify a tentative agreement struck earlier this week.
A statement from CUPE 2269 says the ratification brings an end to a nearly two-week long lockout, with workers set to return to their jobs on Thursday.
Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford says he is relieved and hopes the agreement conveys the message that unionized workers are integral to the district’s ability to deliver services in the community while balancing the impact on taxpayers.
The district had issued a statement earlier this month saying it would lock out workers at the public works facility, municipal hall and some other offices starting Oct. 16 in order to exert pressure on the union to go back to the bargaining table.
CUPE 2269 president Celeste Bickford says the dispute was about respect and creating a workplace where people feel valued and supported.
She says the new contract is a “starting point,” providing wage increases of 3.75 per cent this year, 3.25 per cent next year and three per cent in 2027, but there is more work to be done to address staff recruitment and retention challenges.
“This round of negotiations has highlighted the need for a more constructive and collaborative approach moving forward,” Bickford says in the statement, adding it will take “time and genuine commitment to rebuild trust” with the employer.
Hurford says respecting the district’s workers “has never been a question.”
“We will commit time and effort to reinforce this as everyone comes back together,” the mayor says in a statement issued by the district after the ratification.
The union says other improvements in the new contract include living-wage salary increases for the lowest-paid workers as well as market adjustments for six separate classifications to support recruitment and retention.
The statement from the district says the lowest wage earners will be moved to an annual salary of about $55,000 for a full-time role, while workers will receive four weeks of vacation after five years of employment, down from six.
