Coliseum and CN Centre Among Facilities to be Closed Saturday
Prince George, B.C. – The City of Prince George is anticipating strike action by CUPE members to start on Saturday morning, and says, it expects the CN Centre, Kin Centres, P.G. Coliseum and the Elksentre to be the focus of picket lines.
With that in mind, the City has announced those facilities will be closed for the full day on Saturday.
The City says it is not aware of any other action which may be taken by the union, but has set up a page on the City’s website to offer updates on possible service disruptions as a result of strike action.
The Prince George Cougars are playing out of town on Saturday so they won't be impacted, but the Spruce Kings are supposed to be hosting Chilliwack at the Coliseum on Saturday and Sunday. Those games have now been cancelled and will be rescheduled for the New Year. "We are sorry to announce the cancelation of our games this weekend due to the City of Prince George’s labour dispute," said Spruce Kings General Manager, Mike Hawes. "We have been informed, by the City, that the selected job action of the union representing the City employees will be targeting all community arenas on Saturday December 14th. The arenas will be closed on this date and nobody will have access to the building."
Exact dates that the games will be played have yet to be determined.
The cancellation also affects the annual Drop the Gloves and Sock it to ‘Em game which will be rescheduled to the earliest possible date in the New Year. Fans that may have clothing items and or non-perishable food items that would like to drop them off at the Spruce Kings office can do so on Friday December 13th.
The planned job action is also impacting the Cariboo Cougars, who were supposed to host the Greater Vancouver Canadians on Saturday. That game has now been moved to Fort St. James, where the puck will drop at 5:00.
The Cariboo Cougars Sunday game will go ahead at the CN Centre as scheduled for 10 a.m.
Comments
This is just the beginning! Good for the Union, I hope the Mayor and Upper management are Happy, after all its their actions that have brought the City to this level. I don’t think the Mayor or City Manager Beth James give a dam about whether kids get to play hockey or not in PG, its about making a political showing, the 2 of them are a disgrace!!
I’m not pro-union or anti-union. I have worked on both side of the fence. I couldn’t agree more with your comment CrysBaron. Well said
The Mayor should care – Hockey was part of her platform for getting in.
The city needs to get back to the table instead of issuing news release after news release and interviews saying the are waiting for the union to get back to them, from what I understand, the union did get back to them with an 82% rejection of their last offer.
Why shut these facilities down for just one day. They should shut them down for the duration of the strike. Why just the hockey arenas. Why not shut down the library, swimming pools, art centre, etc;
People can take the time off for Christmas shopping.
I doubt that the Union has any support for going on strike. I would also say that Management will not get any kudo’s for not being able to negotiate an agreement.
Both the Management and Unions, need to remember who pays their salaries.
That’s a stupid move, threaten a strike and they shut it down! At least CUPE can enjoy a day off, not have to go on strike and stand around fire barrel and the Mayor can tell the kids hockey is cancelled!
Is she really paying for that advice??
Too funny. Let’s use the kids as pawns. Way to stay classy union.
axman,
I have no idea what your comment means?
The minor hockey kids play on the weekends.
axman, read the article again … the City shut down the rinks ….the article says,”With that in mind, the City has announced those facilities will be closed for the full day on Saturday.” The union has filed strike notice however until they actually do something, that is all it is … a notice … the City management team, in effect, has “locked out” minor hockey … who is using the kids as pawns?
oh ok, I know what you mean. I’m with you on that one.
It’s unfortunate that City management are using these kids as pawns.
Shameful
Don’t worry….No One knows what axmans comments mean, including him, he just rails on the City Workers any chance he gets.
My full support to the city workers. I hope it snows ten feet and every side road is full of snow. Greedy execs always use the excuse for their enormous bonuses and pay hikes to attracting the best, well I don’t see what’s wrong with paying people a decent wage.
Posted by: JoeyTomato on December 12 2013 8:49 PM
oh ok, I know what you mean. I’m with you on that one.
It’s unfortunate that City management are using these kids as pawns.
Shameful
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Management isn’t the group picketing the arenas.
Posted by: CrysBaron on December 12 2013 8:51 PM
Don’t worry….No One knows what axmans comments mean, including him, he just rails on the City Workers any chance he gets.
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Naaa… I rail against lazy snivel servants.
Shari might be able to afford a couple more trips to China with all the money she will be saving on wages
axman,
What part of “The City has announced those facilities will be closed for the full day on Saturday.” do you not understand?
Yes the City has announced the closure of these facilities. Not the union. And yes I would also expect picket lines at other civic facilities if the Union actually does strike. A picket line is a picket line. I don’t remember any other company announcing a closure because their staff went on strike. Just another bogus move by the Mayor and Council. I bet their are councillors who are burying their heads in the snow in shame.
axman states; “Naaa… I rail against lazy snivel servants.”
He must mean anyone who gets paid by a government through tax dollars.
Hmm⦠that is a long list to rail against axman:
Doctors, nurses, all other health care staff and providers, social workers, transit drivers, city workers, teachers, principals and vice-principals, court judges, crown lawyers and prosecutors, court clerks, sheriffs, corrections officers and guards, probation officers, government researchers / scientists, fisheries officers, foresters, police officers, commercial vehicle inspectors, highway weigh scale operators,etc. etc. etc.
I could go on axman, but I think you get the picture; without “snivel servants” where would we be?
Debt slaves to the Corporations, no doubt, People#1.
This is just the beginning! Good for the City, I hope the Union and their management are Happy, after all its their actions that have brought the Union to this level. I don’t think the Union or the president give a dam about whether kids get to play hockey or not in PG, its about making a political showing, they are a disgrace!!
Yeah right gus⦠“for the first time in Prince George history CUPE has served 72 hour strike notice”.
CUPE has been around for multiple decades and never once carried out job action. Think about all the elected Mayors and Councils over all those decades managing to find a way to negotiate, and work things out with their workers (with CUPE) to a successful, mutual beneficial, conclusion. Talk about a proud history of “mutual respect”.
Congratulations to this Mayor and Council who managed to do what all other previous Mayors and Councils have never done⦠alienate their workers and force a strike!!!
Ummm Gus? Are you pro city or pro union I can’t quite figure out where you stand.
Seems the comments are more to do with the poor kids not getting to play hockey than the issues the city and union are facing….
What ever happened wtih getting outside to play ?
that is some set of priorities….just saying….
Posted by: People#1 on December 12 2013 9:44 PM
I could go on axman, but I think you get the picture; without “snivel servants” where would we be?
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You missed the ‘lazy’ part in my post. There are lots of hard working and extremely dedicated civil servants and their efforts should be applauded and rewarded. Unfortunately, there are also a great number of civil servants who should be shown the door.
Could be the rinks were closed for public safety reasons as the city does not want people who are rusty and not fully up to speed looking after the refrigeration equipment. A big ammonia leak with a rink full of people is a recipe for disaster. Pools could be next because of chlorine.
The city has negotiated in bad faith. I’m with the bargaining unit on this one. Shut the whole damn City down! Congratulations
to all those idiots who voted for Green!
Plain and simple…..it’s embarrassing to be a resident of this city when they can’t get together and hammer out a deal. The city has a number and the union has a number. Find one between the 2 numbers and you have a deal.
The union tried that tactic already, PGguy1234. The City just keeps standing there like a buffoon with its hands clamped over its ears repeating “zero zero zero zero zero”.
The City has NO CHOICE but to close the arenas if the workers are going on strike and they have stated that they are going on strike Saturday. There are LAWS that say you must have a certain number of certified staff working to have them open to the public. With the certified staff on strike they obviously will not be working, and therefore the arenas cannot open to the public.
To suggest the City is closing the arenas when they dont have to is ridiculous. I am intimately familiar with ice arena regulations, and have a pretty good knowledge of labor law, and I assure you there is no way the City can keep the arenas open to the public if the Union is on strike. They may be able to keep the ice in during teh strike, but not open to the public.
The spin that folks try to put on these things is rididulous! Simple math here folks…..the Union goes on strike and the things they staff close…..period. There is no choice.
And those on the other side of the table are repeating “more more more”
Why is there a Game on Sunday at the CN Centre ?
Must be MISPRINT.
All Arena’s and City owned Buildings should be Closed till STRIKE is over.
The workers deserve a FAIR Deal and to be treated with some friggin respect. We don’t have a Mayor in PG, we have a Dictatorship! I support the workers during this difficult time, there not getting paid, have kids right at Christmas time….so what does that say about how badly they have been disrespected by a High priced lawyer from Vancouver (who we all paid for) who started negotiations with the Union on DAY 1 by stating after a suggestion by the Union President “Yeah…when Pigs will fly!” They have been forced into this by Management and the WORST Mayor this City has ever seen in Shari Green.
I’m disgusted by this. My little guy plays hockey and loves it. He’s so disappointed that his game has been cancelled. Way to go Prince George. Good on ya!
People are talking as if it would be any different under any other Mayor. Maybe it would be under Kinsley who presided over the last sweetheart deal for the union.
Guess what, the path we are on isn’t sustainable. People constantly complain about taxation levels, and the tax dollars have to come from somewhere. Good for the City for trying to slow down the insanity.
As bad as you think things are between CUPE and the city, at least they don’t have to sit across a table from someone who says ‘we are not making money, so we expect our contractors to share a bit of the pain’
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