Province Appoints Mediator in YRB Strike

Tuesday, July 31, 2007 05:47 PM

In May, striking BCGEU members set up a picket line at the YRB office on the Hart Highway as part of their rotating strike schedule ( photo opinion 250 archive)

It has been four months since the members of BCGEU working for road maintenance contractors throughout the province, took to the picket lines. Today, the Province announced it was appointing Vince Ready as a special mediator in the dispute.

Among the striking workers, are the 96 employed by YRB which looks after road maintenance in "service area 19" covering 3,000 kilometres of highways and roads in Prince George, Mackenzie and the Yellowhead Highway.

The Union has been without a contract since October. The latest wage offer was .27 % a year over a multi-year contract. It was an offer one union rep called "insulting".

Labour Minister Olga Ilich says she is concerned that despite efforts on both sides, the parties remain far apart. Ready will try to mediate a settlement, and should that fail, he will provide the parties with recommendations for settlement.

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Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 05:47 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: camoose on July 31 2007 7:07 PM

Let me see now; MLA's vote themselves a 28% increase and gilt edged pension plan and YRB employees are offered .27% a year. I wonder which group does the most work and puts in the most hours. Something is far out of whack here.

Posted by: Chester on July 31 2007 7:52 PM

Based on the condition of our roads, I don't really know what to say. I am at a loss. I don't think it appropriate to compare an MLA's wages with a road maintenance contractor. Chester

Posted by: Chadermando on July 31 2007 8:30 PM

How about comparing the profits of the contractor to the employee of the contractor.

A .27% increase is a 3% wage deduction in real wage after inflation if you go by stats Canada inflation rates. If you go by real inflation which factors in gas prices, food, housing ect and not chinese import goods than you have a 14% per year inflation rate and the contractors are in effect being offered a 13.73% pay reduction.

Hiway contractors have actually taken pay cuts not even factoring in inflation over the last decade. Most live in camp through the winter months working 15 hour days for less then a mill worker makes.

I think the hi-way maintenance workers have a legitimate claim.

Posted by: Chester on July 31 2007 8:48 PM

How about comparing the profits of the contractor to the employee of the contractor? Good question. Let's compare. Why is it assumed that a business is always making huge profits? Not my experience. Chester

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on July 31 2007 10:59 PM

Four months on strike, they'll never make that money back. Sounds like the strike bullpoop backfired on them.

Posted by: owl on July 31 2007 11:44 PM

It is a rotating strike. No one is off the job for the total of 4 months.

Posted by: owl on July 31 2007 11:47 PM

"Why is it assumed that a business is always making huge profits?"

Because those who do have never owned a business.

Posted by: camoose on July 31 2007 11:48 PM

From what I hear the strike is good for YRB since the Government is still paying them for work that is not being done. I don't buy the idea that they will catch up on the work later but be paid now. Wish i could have a deal like that. Just pay me now and I'll catch up on my work at a later date. Wow, that almost sounds like a political fact.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on August 1 2007 5:58 AM

Sounds like YRB is over staffed? Nice way to get the labour costs under control. Probably a good way to do work more effectively, without having to work around the unions control of jobs.

Posted by: REALIST on August 1 2007 12:59 PM

This is business. They get paid regardless of their employees working. Employees on strike? No wages just profit from taxpayers pockets without return. Yet another of the thousands of reasons why the whole privatization ideology is good for Gordo's corporate friends and bad for the taxpayer. Why not a clause in the contract that says no work no pay. Bet that would get the contractors back to the table right now. Instead more tax dollars lost to the corporate greed monger B.C.Lieberals and their corporate masters. We are all sheep.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on August 1 2007 1:21 PM

In simple terms,the less YRB does,the more money they make at the end of the year.
Why do you think our roads/highways are in such bad shapes?
The winter snow removal on the highways is the same...damn poor and all to save money on wages and overtime and raise the profit line.
That's what happens when things like the B.C.Highways Dept. are privatized.
B.C.Ferries are another classic example of getting less for you dollar.
The fares keep increasing on a regular basis, and now they want the federal government to give them some of our tax dollars to improve security.
I think NOT!!