Not prepared to talk layoffs, CUPE tells St. John's city council

The union that represents inside and outside workers employed by the City of St. John's says it's not prepared to discuss layoffs as part of a review of city programs.

"There was obviously some venting that took place, which was necessary," said Brian Farewell, national representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, after a meeting with city managers on Wednesday.

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"I think the optics of the way this is unfolding is very troublesome to both locals that I represent," said Farewell.

He pointed out that CUPE members gave up their defined benefit pension plan for new hires in the last contract signed with the city. 

In return, employees received an 18 per cent wage increase over four years.

"There was a threat of a lockout if the local didn't acquiesce to their demand. That's the way it unfolded and they come back in a reasonably short period of time and now our employees are looking at layoffs," said Farewell.

"Really! Maybe this information should have been brought to the bargaining table and possibly discussed in that light. It may have had an impact on where we were at the time."

CUPE is not prepared, said Farewell, "to sit in a room and say now, which employees will be going home? That's not on for us, absolutely not." 

CUPE represents roughly 1,200 city workers.

'There will be impacts'

Coun. Jonathan Galgay said Wednesday that it is premature to suggest there are job cuts coming.

"There probably will be job cuts but there will also be retirements within the organization," Galgay told reporters.

"There will be impacts. We will do our best to mitigate that."

Galgay repeated the city's message that eliminating jobs saves money.

But the early retirement package offered by the city to senior managers earlier this year is clearly a thorn in the side for CUPE.

"Over 70 per cent of those who were paid out in that early pension were managers, not union members," said Farewell.

 "And they paid them out 12 months, 18 months, 24 months whatever it was, to sit home, and while they're sitting home they're paying pension premiums and their pension is increasing," he said.

"I have no idea what new math they're using to come up with this as saving money. Absolutely atrocious."

Contracting out 

Farewell said the city has already hired outside contractors to do some of the work previously done by a group of environmental services officers who accepted the retirement offer. 

"The incumbent crew that's still on the payroll have to do prep work for the contractors," he said.

"I have no idea how this saves money. If you have four individuals whose work is staying, why would you give them a package to go home?"

"The city doesn't have a policy per se on privatization, but one of the things we're looking at is we're looking at all of our options," said Galgay.

"They [unions] do have concerns and we're listening."