The galleries were packed again at North Battleford council Monday- this time, to celebrate labour harmony.
Several representatives from Canadian Union of Public Employees Local No. 287 and also from the North Battleford Fire Fighters Association were on hand to sign two separate collective bargaining agreements with the City of North Battleford. Also signing the agreements was Mayor Ian Hamilton.
The agreement with CUPE, representing city workers, covers the period from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2014. The agreement with the firefighters covers January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012.
In speaking to reporters following the meeting, CUPE Local No. 287 president Dan Suberlak said his union believes "we got a fair deal." The wage increases amount to four per cent in the first year, three per cent in the second year, and 2.75 in the third year. They did have to make concessions in their due time.
He acknowledges his union would have liked more, but the members wanted to get a deal completed. Suberlak said he is relieved the process is finally over.
Suberlak also says he believes the quiet campaign by CUPE workers, who sat in at council meetings on a regular basis since October, had the desired impact.
"Council had a chance to see who the workers were," said Suberlak, who added it did "put pressure on the negotiating team to get a deal done."
The CUPE workers had been without a deal since March 31 of last year, and the new deal covers the period retroactive to that time.
NBFFA Local No. 1756 president Lindsay Holm was also happy to see a deal done with his union.
"It's been a long time coming," said Holm. "but I think it's one that is equitable to both the City and the taxpayers of the city of North Battleford, and also North Battleford firefighters."
Holm said the increases amount to 5.5 per cent over each year of the deal. He also acknowledged that, with the deal expiring in December, he expects to be back at the bargaining table again soon to start work on a new collective agreement.
Hamilton was glad to see the deals with the unions concluded.
"We came to a mutual agreement that is satisfactory to both."
As for the CUPE strategy of coming to council meetings, Hamilton said he couldn't say whether it had an impact on the final result.
"It was a strategy they embarked upon and I'm quite fine with it," the mayor said.
As a sidebar, North Battleford also passed a resolution at Monday's meeting setting a three per cent increase for its out-of-scope workers. That passed unanimously.
