The negotiating teams are officially back at the table in the Qualicum Beach labour dispute for the first time in almost a month.
“It was productive and positive,” said CUPE Local 401 President Blaine Gurrie of a casual meeting Monday.
Rhetoric had heated up last week after incidents between picketers and town management driving a garbage truck, but negotiations appear to be back on track.
“We hope to re-start bargaining and with any luck and some renewed goodwill, on both parts, hopefully we can find a solution,” Gurrie said of the scheduled talks.
He didn’t want to give specific meeting times because they were subject to change and he didn’t want people reading things into delays or changes.
“Council had invited union president Blaine and negotiator Casey to meet and it was quite positive, lasting about two hours,” said town chief administrative officer Daniel Sailland.
“They shared information with us, which was good and we’re going back to the bargaining table,” he said, adding he believed the last formal negotiations were on July 27.
“I tend to not like negotiating in the media, it just ramps peoples emotions up,” Gurrie said, adding he’s trying to keep things positive.
“CUPE members will be out on picket lines as per usual, and we thank our community for the continued support that we have received,” said a union news release.
Watch www.PQBNews.com for the latest developments.
