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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 61 No. 15
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
1.30 INCLUDES TAX
$
A delegation from Unifor 2300’s bargaining team, at top left, speaks to Kitimat Council in a particularly heated exchange April 7. At right is councillor Mario Feldhoff, CAO Ron Poole and Mayor Phil Germuth as they listen to the presentation which included hollering from the gallery. Below right, the union held a rally before the meeting.
No ground was gained Cameron Orr It was likely not what either side wanted in a municipal strike which has ground onwards for over 40 days. An April 7 council meeting turned, temporarily, in to a public hollering match when Unifor 2300 members were given the floor to present information to council. But union members hoping to hear answers to specific questions were denied when council opted to maintain only hearing from the union as they presented details from their final offer, a response to the union’s belief that councillors hadn’t been given adequate explanation of their demands from the city’s bargaining unit. That said, council through the may-
or, and through councillor Mario Feldhoff even, did shoot back a few words, although nothing that specifically addressed items in the contract. The union’s presentation centred on two points, one that councillors were not properly informed of the union’s own offer to settle before the strike even began, and secondly to question why some aspects of a new collective agreement are not being discussed at the bargaining table. “We need to know why council never got to see the offer to settle,” said Martin McIlwrath, the business agent representing Unifor 2300 in bargaining. “If you look at the way things have played out, council wasn’t willing to continue bargaining, never got to see
Kildala kids explore their energy impacts.
/page 7 New trades training program at KVI.
/page 9 PM477761
our offer to settle. Our members, your employees, were out on the streets from February 28 to March 16. March 16 is the first time council got to see our offer to settle. How is that possible?” Mayor Phil Germuth reiterated what he’s said publicly before, that council has been very informed on offers. That said, he admits that all councillors likely didn’t read the entire 40+ page union document, relying on the town’s bargaining team to inform them of any changes made from existing offers. “They updated us on whatever changes were there from previous days of negotiations,” said Germuth. Continued on page 10
Outside support called in for strike Cameron Orr It’s come down to an external hand. The District of Kitimat will follow through on taking on the services of a third-party to figure out the best way to resolve the impasse of the municipal Collective Agreement. In an open letter to the community
Mayor Phil Germuth said that the town had given the union until 4 p.m. Sunday to reconsider the town’s last final offer, otherwise it would be rescinded and the external party would be brought in. “Negotiations with the Union have not resulted in the finalization of a Collective Agreement. Both sides recognize
we have reached an impasse. It is evident another course of action must be undertaken,” Germuth wrote. It didn’t take long for the union to publish their own response, saying that they’d even be looking at legal options, as they dispute the mayor’s message. Continued on page 2
Union brings lines to other facilities Cameron Orr Both the Kitimat Public Library and the Kitimat Museum & Archives closed for the day, April 7, due to Unifor 2300 picketers in front of the facilities. The library is staffed by CUPE members and the library workers reportedly opted to show support for the day by not crossing the line. That said, the library association and the CUPE members later each voted to continue operations as normal at the library, meaning the facility won’t close if a line returns. The staff at the museum are not unionized but the facility
also opted to close for the day in support, but like the library have no plans to close again. Picketers had returned to the library and museum in the days since. In a statement from museum curator Louise Avery, she writes that “Although the picket line continues at the museum…staff members are back to work, returning the museum to its regular hours of operation.” The museum and the library are District of Kitimat owned buildings which gives the municipal union the ability to picket them.