Tribune
WEEKEND FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2013
bcclassified.com
VOL. 24 NO. 7
REACHING 10,675 HOMES WEEKLY
SUN SHINES FOR VALENTINE SLEIGH RIDES
Stampede auction a lively event........................Page A14
Cariboo residents enjoyed beautiful weather and a unique outdoor experience on Sunday when the Cariboo Draft Horse and Driving Club offered Valentine’s Day rides just off Dog Creek Road. There were two teams of four horses and one single horse pulling sleighs in the sunshine. Everyone from tots to seniors were welcome to warm refreshments. The club also offers buggy rides to seniors at the Williams Lake Seniors Village and at the Harvest Fair, with a hydraulic lift on one custom-made buggy, for wheelchairs. LeRae Haynes photo
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City explains contract negotiating points Negotiations between the City of Williams Lake and the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 882-B, which represents the majority of front line city workers, have broken down. The union issued 72 hour strike notice to the city Wednesday, the and will be in a position to strike as early as 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16. In a press release the city says it will do everything it can to minimize the effects of this job action on residents and is hopeful that the union will return to the bargaining table, and that this job action can be resolved as soon as possible. Throughout this negotiation process the city has been attempting to address several key issues believed to be in the best interest of taxpayers, states the release. The city
wants to ensure the sustainability of city operations. One of the city’s key issues under the current collective agreement is call-out pay. Employees who are called in for any reason receive eight hours of pay regardless of the length of time they work. Many of these call outs require an hour, or less, of work. The current cost for overtime is estimated at over $250,000 per year and the large majority of this cost is from this call-out pay. The city has made an offer to the union to address its concerns about call out pay that they feel is more than fair, and in line with industry standards. The union currently has 28 positions that are guaranteed no layoffs in a memorandum of under-
standing. Although this MOU severely ties the hands of the city to adjust the workforce, especially in shoulder seasons where there is reduced work, and increases overall operating costs, the city has indicated that it is willing to sign this MOU but that it would require movement by the union on the call-out pay issue. A second issue for the city is the requirement to pay for benefits for seasonal employees during periods of lay off. The city feels that this practice is not sustainable. In its proposals to the city, the union has asked for four additional paid days off which includes two new personal days and two new additional sick days in addition to the eight sick days they already receive. The city has offered to ad-
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just the current sick days that employees receive to allow them to take this time off to care for their children when they are sick. The union has asked for increases to its health and benefit program that would cost the city over $110,000 annually, including a Pay Direct Prescription Card. The city has indicated clearly that it would be amenable to offering the prescription card to employees. The city feels that the current health and welfare package is very fair to employees. In these negotiations, the city has agreed to increase meal and boot allowances, increase the rates for working foremen and lead hand designated employees as well as employees in positions requiring a journeyman trade certification. See ICE, Page A3