Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

CITY OF KAMLOOPS

CUPE Local 900 calls arbitrator’s decision in City of Kamloops CSO case a ‘strong win’

Aug 17, 2023 | 5:11 PM

KAMLOOPS — After an arbitrator’s decision that the City of Kamloops broke the collective bargaining agreement when it restructured the Bylaws Services Department in 2020, the Union representing those employees is calling it a strong win.

CUPE Local 900 filed a grievance on behalf of those employees affected by a departmental restructuring back in 2020. It argued the city should have collaborated with the employees before imposing the change and added employees would be performing essentially the same duties with more stringent prerequisites. Local 900 President Ken Davis says he’s pleased with the decision after a long process.

“Our argument since day one is that the new CSO program is no different than what we had with the bylaws [services department], that there was, in fact, no real and substantive change to the job description. We’ve been waiting for this for a very long time. The initial grievance was filed over two and half years ago, nearly three years ago,” Davis says. “Once we read through it, we see it as a strong win. The arbitrator is very clear that the City violated the terms of our collective agreement, so we see that as a win.”

The union noted only 17 of the 32 affected employees were hired into the CSO-Training Opportunity positions. Of those, only seven went on to become CSOs.

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City staff didn’t respond to CFJC Today’s request for an interview. However, Davis notes the union has already reached out to the city in order to get negotiations underway.

Image Credit: CFJC Today

“The two parties have to come to the table. We have to fix the issues [the arbitrator] has identified with the collective agreement. Then we have to go about making those members whole. We aim to do that as quickly as possible. We really wish we would have done it two and a half, three years ago, but are looking to do that immediately.”