LABOUR

Calgary city workers fight for better wages

Over 4,400 Calgary city workers may soon be walking the picket line unless the city comes up with a fair offer.

While City Council recently voted themselves a 4.7 per cent increase for this year, CUPE Local 38 and the city have been in negotiations since November 2010.

City workers are fighting for wage increases of three per cent for each of the next two years.

With a strike vote scheduled for mid-June, Local 38 has begun preparations for rotating strike actions and work-to-rule campaigns.

Peter Marsden, president of Local 38, indicated that walkouts could coincide with property-tax payment deadline.

“If the mail service happens to strike in Calgary and people wanted to pay their taxes and there are no cashiers at City Hall, the city could have some difficulty,” Marsden stated.