PRINCE RUPERT City workers begin a public awareness campaign today (Thursday May 13th) to inform residents that service reduction days planned by the city during which city hall and the landfill is closed and garbage pick-up rescheduled are unpaid days for city workers and represent a sacrifice. Today is the third of fourteen service reduction days scheduled between April 2004 and April 2005.
We want residents to know that these are unpaid days. Over the year, that amounts to a 6 per cent wage reduction for our members, says Russell Wiens, CUPE 105 President. The city saves $250,000 through these reductions over the course of the budget year.
Some residents thought it was a paid vacation and it is important to us that our neighbours and the community we work for understand that this is not the case.
The city came to the workers, who have not had a raise in 4 years and only a 3% wage increase in the past 10 years, and asked them to tighten their belts even further to help Prince Rupert deal with the loss of $2.5 million in yearly property tax revenue as a result of the closure of Skeena Cellulose and its outstanding tax recovery.
We care about our community and we want residents to know that these service reduction days are as painful to us as they are to you. Wiens says.
Not only do we lose the services as residents, but we also lose a days pay each time a day is scheduled. But its a sacrifice weve agreed to make for the sake of our community.
The union launched its campaign with a newspaper ad in the Prince Rupert Daily News today. Listed are the service reduction days scheduled and the contact information for Prince Rupert city councillors and Mayor Herb Pond for residents wishing to know more about the cuts to city services.
CUPE 105 represents 110 city workers in Prince Rupert.
For more information, please contact:
Russell Wiens, President, CUPE 105, o: (250)627-7429, h: (250)627-8417
Diane Kalen, CUPE Communications, c: (647)224-0662
We want residents to know that these are unpaid days. Over the year, that amounts to a 6 per cent wage reduction for our members, says Russell Wiens, CUPE 105 President. The city saves $250,000 through these reductions over the course of the budget year.
Some residents thought it was a paid vacation and it is important to us that our neighbours and the community we work for understand that this is not the case.
The city came to the workers, who have not had a raise in 4 years and only a 3% wage increase in the past 10 years, and asked them to tighten their belts even further to help Prince Rupert deal with the loss of $2.5 million in yearly property tax revenue as a result of the closure of Skeena Cellulose and its outstanding tax recovery.
We care about our community and we want residents to know that these service reduction days are as painful to us as they are to you. Wiens says.
Not only do we lose the services as residents, but we also lose a days pay each time a day is scheduled. But its a sacrifice weve agreed to make for the sake of our community.
The union launched its campaign with a newspaper ad in the Prince Rupert Daily News today. Listed are the service reduction days scheduled and the contact information for Prince Rupert city councillors and Mayor Herb Pond for residents wishing to know more about the cuts to city services.
CUPE 105 represents 110 city workers in Prince Rupert.
For more information, please contact:
Russell Wiens, President, CUPE 105, o: (250)627-7429, h: (250)627-8417
Diane Kalen, CUPE Communications, c: (647)224-0662
