WINNIPEG – After months of difficult negotiations, the City of Winnipeg and CUPE Local 500 have reached a tentative agreement after a mediator was appointed by the Province of Manitoba.
On February 18, 87 per cent of CUPE Local 500 members voted to reject the City’s initial offer and take job action if the City failed to offer a fairer settlement. Following the vote, both parties returned to the bargaining table with the support of a conciliator.
“From day one, our commitment has been to fight for a deal that was fair for our members,” said CUPE Local 500 president Mike Davidson. “While the bargaining committee enjoyed overwhelming support from the membership to take job action if necessary, we felt we could reach a deal that we were comfortable with without disrupting the public services that our friends and neighbours rely on.”
Details of the settlement will be confidential until they are shared with the membership at an information session scheduled for March 24. Members will then have the opportunity to vote on the settlement on March 25. The City of Winnipeg’s Executive Policy Committee and City Council need to vote in favour of the settlement before it can be ratified. These votes are expected to take place in April.
CUPE Local 500 consists of 4,600 members and represents roughly one half of the City of Winnipeg’s workforce.
For more information, please contact:
Brian Ellis
CUPE National Representative
(204) 942-0343
Liam Martin
CUPE Communications Representative
(204) 612-0901