A new collective agreement has been signed between CUPE Local 2262 and the City of Castlegar. It covers 36 union members in a number of different positions with the City including heavy equipment operators, light equipment operators, financial clerks, and building officials.
Good clear communication was very important heading into the negotiations, according to chair of the negotiating committee, Jo Petit.
“The major things to our members was of course wages and benefits and we got increases to both of those. We did a survey with all of our members prior to going into negotiations to get that approved so they knew what we were going forward with,” said Petit.
She described it as “a collaborative approach between all the parties” and “a very positive round of negotiations.”  The four and a half year agreement includes a two per cent annual wage increase as well as improvements to health benefits, service delivery, and contract language. One example she highlighted was a substantial increase for safety boots.
The City’s CAO Chris Barlow stated that the contract will provide stability for employees and the public.
The agreement expires August 31, 2023.