Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan is warning a strike by the city's outside workers as early as next week could affect preparations for the 2010 Olympic Games. While most Olympic venue construction is done by Vanoc and would be unaffected by picket lines, a strike could hurt the city's ability to meet Olympic promises such as creating solutions to homelessness, he said in an interview.
"A lot of people are thinking, we want to be ready, we want these buildings built, we want social housing," Sullivan said. "We're all working for 2010, and the fact is that this could harm all of that. "It's something we have to really think about and consider before we make big decisions that would be difficult to unravel."
A strike would mean the issuing of building permits for construction would slow to a crawl, he said.
Sullivan made his comments as the city's negotiating team asked the union representing the city's outside workers - Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 1004 - to return to the bargaining table.
"We were surprised and disappointed that the union gave strike notice," said city spokesman Jerry Dobrovolny. "We're formally asking them to come back. Our position is flexible and there's a real opportunity to return to the bargaining table."
Local 1004 president Mike Jackson said he received the letter and was happy to negotiate - but warned that the meeting might happen during a strike.
"We're willing to meet any time, any day. That would be our answer," he said. "But it could be on the picket lines."
He responded to Sullivan's comments about the Olympics by saying the union is trying to protect its members from the effects of the Olympics, not vice versa.
"No, obviously we're not going to hold the city ransom," he said. "We're not crooks. It all comes down to the term: they say 39 months, we say two years."
The union had issued strike notice that enabled it to be in a legal strike position as of 4 p.m. today. Chief issues are wages, benefits, whistleblower legislation and the length of the contract.
But the Labour Relations Board, which governs union negotiations, said the union must resubmit its notice and a strike could not begin until after the board had ruled on what essential services must continue during a labour dispute.
In a hearing on Tuesday, both parties made arguments about which services should stay or go. Hearing administrator Mark Brown has been too busy with other work to write his ruling yet, said a spokesman for the board.
Meantime, the board ruled today the city did not act improperly when it twice e-mailed its inside workers about a recent contract offer, despite a complaint by CUPE, Local 15, the union which represents them.
"There is no coercion or intimidation alleged with respect to the two impugned e-mails," wrote Michael Fleming in his judgment. "An employer is entitled to communicate its views to employees."
Fleming also ruled the city could block CUPE e-mails from its servers.
(canada.com)
