Members of Civic Service Union 52, the union that represents many Edmonton city workers, voted in favour of a strike mandate earlier this week.
The union said it hopes the city will come back to the bargaining table to avoid a work stoppage.
The union represents workers in 911 dispatch, recreation customer service, clerical, planning and information technology staff. CSU 52 also represents Edmonton Public Library employees, though they held a separate vote, which was also in favour of a strike mandate, last week.
The city of Edmonton members voted 91 per cent in favour of a strike mandate, with 83 per cent voter turnout. EPL staff voted 94 per cent in favour, with 93 per cent voter turnout.
“It is clear that City Council and Administration are out of touch with their employee base. We have sent a very clear message: we will not settle for an unfair agreement and watch as dollars are continuously misspent without considering those who actually perform the front-line, core services on behalf of Edmontonians, Union President Lanny Chudyk said in a news release published on Tuesday.
“While we have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike mandate, we do not want to have to withdraw our services. Our goal is still to reach a fair and equitable settlement at the negotiation table that supports members and taxpayers.
Thank you for standing together in unwavering determination to secure a fair and equitable agreement. The strong strike mandate speaks volumes about the collective resolve of our membership in the negotiation process,” Chudyk said.
CSU 52 will hold an event and media availability at Edmonton City Hall at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Below: the photo is from the CSU 52’s Facebook page.
