Civic Services Union 52 has served strike notice to the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Public Library, meaning job action will begin at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow unless action is taken.
CSU 52 members provide crucial public services which contribute to the overall mental and physical well-being of Edmontonians. This includes recreational centres, libraries, dispatchers and so much more. If strike action begins tomorrow, it means residents will lose access to these facilities which are so important to their health.
The leadership at the City of Edmonton should be doing everything they can to avoid a strike and loss of these services. Instead, they appear to be doubling down on a failed offer as job action becomes imminent.
City and library workers have made it abundantly clear through repeated membership votes that any zeros in the proposal are unacceptable. Yet the City proceeded with forcing workers to vote on their most recent offer. The result of that vote was another resounding no.
Income is one of the most important social determinants of health, the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. Like other Albertans, many CSU 52 members are struggling to pay for housing, food, utilities, and other essentials. CSU 52 members have not had a raise since 2018, while the cost of living has risen drastically. These workers deserve more than proposals with 0% wage increases, they deserve a fair contract that will ensure they are able to afford to live healthy lives in our city.
Rather than stubbornly leading our community into a strike, City of Edmonton leadership must listen to workers and step up to reach a fair agreement with their employees that prevents job action and service closures. This means returning to the bargaining table in a genuine way, with a new mandate, so that Edmontonians don’t needlessly lose access to crucial public services and facilities that help keep our community healthy.
If job action is ultimately required, Friends of Medicare will be proud to be there to join hard-working CSU 52 members in solidarity out on the picket lines.
-30-