Negotiations > Negotiations

Bargaining Bulletin #1 - June 25, 2010

Bargaining committee ready with a plan for upcoming negotiations with the City of Winnipeg

The Collective Agreement between CUPE Local 500 and the City of Winnipeg is set to expire on December 31, 2010. On June 23, the Union’s negotiating committee met to begin preparations and develop a plan for this round of bargaining.

Member survey results reviewed

In May, the Local mailed out a bargaining survey to all members working at the City of Winnipeg. The members of the negotiating committee reviewed your priorities and suggestions for new and/or changes to existing articles in the current contract. This information will be used to form our proposals and to help identify our members’ priorities.

Our thanks go out to all members who took the time to fill out the survey. Knowing what you want is critical to negotiating improvements to our collective agreement.

How do negotiations work?

Negotiating collective agreements is one of the union’s most important functions. The collective agreement outlines members wages, benefits and working conditions; it reflects the union's efforts to improve the working lives of its members.

The collective agreement is negotiated between the employer and the union. Each side sends a committee to the bargaining table. Preparations for negotiations begin months before the old contract expires. The union’s proposals are determined through input from the members and by paying close attention to other settlements in Manitoba and across the country.

During bargaining, we will be providing regular updates on our progress. When a tentative agreement is reached, meetings are held and members vote on whether or not to accept the agreement.

When will bargaining begin?

The Union is now in full preparation mode. We are putting together the proposal package that we will be presenting to the employer. We will be giving notice of intent to commence negotiations as early as October 1 or as late as December 1, 2010. This notice period is outlined in the current Collective Agreement.

At this time, we ask you to keep following our updates and continue to support the Committee during the upcoming bargaining process.
How to stay informed during Bargaining

The best way to stay informed during bargaining, is to sign-up for email updates. It’s easy to join. Go to the Local 500 website at www.cupe500.mb.ca and click on the sign-up button to provide us with your home email address.

Bargaining bulletins will also be posted on the Local 500 website. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can also stay informed by watching your workplace bulletin board for further updates.

Negotiating Committee

The negotiating committee for CUPE Local 500 is:

Mike Davidson President
Sallie Caufield Civic Services Unit
Joan McMahon Community Services Unit
Brian Barron Public Works Unit
Shane Westover Water and Waste Unit
Keith Bousquet Member at Large
Glenoria Molnar Member at Large

Brian Ellis, CUPE National Staff Representative
Denise Harder, CUPE National Staff Representative
Wally Skomoroh, CUPE National Staff Representative

Bob Ripley, Local 500 Special Assignments Officer
Alex McClurg, Local 500 Special Assignments Officer
Karen Byzuk, Local 500 Special Assignments Officer