Kitimat Strike Drags On
Kitimat, B.C. – No news is bad news when it comes to the strike at the District of Kitimat.
It’s now been just over a month (Feb 28) since 127 members of Unifor Local 2300 walked off the job and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight to the job action.
“We’re still in the same situation. The picketers are out again,” says chief administrative officer Ron Poole. “There hasn’t been any direct communication. There’s just been a couple of media releases we’re put out in order to clarify what I believe is misinformation out there.”
He says that includes the union’s assertion the district has been unwilling to come to the table.
“We have been to the table more than twenty times in negotiations and all the demands sitting on the table are from the union.”
Poole says some of those demands cannot be met “because they are either too costly to the taxpayer, or they impede on management’s right to manage its workforce.”
Martin McIIwrath, Unifor’s business agent, argues the district walked away from the bargaining table March 19 and haven’t shown a willingness to “actually bargain a contract.”
He also isn’t backing down from the tough language released in a Facebook posting last week (see previous story here) claiming both sides are at “war” and that a “poisonous” work environment exists at the district.
“It’s just an accurate reflection of the reality that we’re currently in,” says McIIwrath.
He adds the district has been bargaining in “bad faith.”
“When we referred in the letter that the mayor and council hadn’t seen our offer to settle from February 25, we have it on good information that no only did they not see it on February 25, but they didn’t see it until March 16,” says McIIwrath. “So 19 days after we served 72 hour strike notice.”
McIIwrath says either the municipal manager is “withholding bargaining information from mayor and council,” or mayor and council is “completely negligent in their duties and responsibilities.”
The strike has shut down two arenas and a recreation centre and led to the cancellation of a minor hockey tournament.
The main sticking points in the dispute have revolved around the district’s workplace environment and wages.
Comments
When a party (Union) comes to the table with “Demands”, the environment immediately becomes toxic. When a party (Union) wants to erode the rights of management to manage, how would you respond? Put yourself in the shoes of management and see how things look from their perspective.
The first thing that needs to change in negotiations is their attitude.
Zero sympathy for the situation in Kitimat. There has been a toxic environment from all sides of the political spectrum in Kitimat for years and now the results of it are coming through in full force.
Kitimat and its people are spoiled and petulant children who suckled at the teet of Alcan for so long and thought they would always be able to do so.
It bred a culture that’s prevalent in small towns where fringe groups of long term residents consolidate power and are unwilling to adapt or accept differing views, ideas, or opinions.
If anyone asked questions they were chased off with constant gossip and rumor mongering until it became unbearable to live in the community.
Nothing was done to cultivate future leaders who would be able to effectively move the town forward and instead older residents held on for so long that now when they retire the town they go to there tried and true standby of nepotism.
This strike is the culmination of the factors listed above and no matter how many times the town replaces administrators or elected officials it will not make a difference because of the paranoia culture that was allowed to fester for so long.
I’ve got no sympathy for the Kitimat workers. They are and have been traditionally paid very well (far better than where I live, Terrace) because the city wanted workers to not leave for better pay at Alcan. The Union claims a toxic work environment; guess what, employers and bosses aren’t always nice, nor do they have to agree with you. Get off your butts and go back to work. Your not Doctors or Lawyers and shouldn’t get paid like it.
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