Skip to content

Westlock County and CUPE ink three-year agreement

No wage increases for 2021, followed by 1.5 per cent hikes in 2022 and 2023
WES - CUPE wesbite May 2022
Westlock County and CUPE have signed a retroactive three-year deal that includes no wage increase for 2021 but will see staff receive 1.5 per cent hikes in 2022 and 2023.

WESTLOCK – Westlock County and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have inked a retroactive three-year deal that includes no wage increase for 2021 but will see staff receive 1.5 per cent hikes in 2022 and 2023.

Ratified May 10 and slated to be officially signed May 18, the deal runs Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2023, and was negotiated over the past 18 months. Councillors went behind closed doors with Denis Halyk at their May 10 meeting to discuss the contract, then approved the report from the negotiator and administrator when they came back into public session.

Interim CAO Pat Vincent said the deal impacts about 30 of the county’s 54 employees, mainly in public works, and was ratified by Local 3007 about 10 days ago. The previous three-year deal, which ran 2018-2020, included a one per cent wage hike in the first year, followed by 1.75 per cent jumps in the final two years.

A release from the municipality notes “council was very pleased with both the union and county staff for delivering on negotiations that will support staff and the community into the future.”

“We’re excited and council was pleased with the deal, the negotiation and the end result. Council gave their approval happily,” said Vincent in a May 12 interview.

CUPE is Canada’s largest union with over half a million people who provide public services. In Alberta, CUPE’s 36,000 members work in health care, municipalities, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, emergency medical services, social services and casinos.

George Blais, TownandCountryToday.com

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks