Although the province has remained steadfast on a net zero negotiating policy for government worker contracts, the City of Trail is more compassionate.
The municipal government has handed over a new contract to its workers, giving them at least a cost of living increase of two per cent for the next three years.
On Friday it was announced the city and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2087—serving approximately 100 full and part-time unionized city workers—agreed on a three-year deal, replacing the previous contract that expired in February.
The new agreement provides annual pay increases of two per cent per year for each year of the contract, including “benefit enhancements and changes in contract language that provide greater clarification and certainty for both the city and the union moving forward,” said city chief administrative officer David Perehudoff.
The move to offer the increases were viewed as “fair for both parties” and was within the city’s current cost structure, said Mayor Dieter Bogs.
“The new contract ensures cost stability enabling the ongoing provision of high level service without taxpayers seeing a significant change to property taxes,” he said in a release.
The contract was formally ratified by a vote of 79 per cent on Thursday, one day after the CUPE bargaining committee and city representatives signed a memorandum of agreement on Wednesday.
CUPE President Jean Poole said she was pleased the union was successful in securing job security for current full-time permanent employees.