Town comes to terms with CUPE
Last week, the Town of Smithers and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1570 ratified a four-year collective agreement.
The agreement includes wage increase of 1.75 per cent in the first two years and two per cent in the final two.
CUPE Local 1570 president Elma Hamming called the compromise “fair and reasonable.”
About 65 Town of Smithers employees are CUPE members. Their roles range from indoor, administrative jobs to outdoor utilities employees and airport maintenance staff.
“We appreciate the work CUPE members undertake everyday to deliver high quality services and maintain a community of which we are all proud,” said Smithers Mayor Taylor Bachrach.
The last agreement between the two sides was three years so this extended deal is very positive for the town, said director of corporate services Susan Bassett.
“A four-year deal is better for us,” Bassett said. “It gives us a degree of certainty over a longer period of time. Now we can project our costs into that fourth year.”
Homeless camp being relocated
Complaints from residents have led the town to look at relocating a prominent homeless camp located in a stand of tress just off Highway 16.
“Camps like that aren’t really sanctioned by the town however we realize that people who don’t have any options are going to sleep outside,” said Smithers Mayor Taylor Bachrach.
This winter, residents of the camp have complained of their belongings being stolen and as recently as Feb. 10, the Smithers Volunteer Fire Department was called to the camp to extinguish a blaze which had gotten out of control.
The RCMP determined the incident not to be criminal in nature.
The existence of the camp underscores the need for additional affordable, supportive long-term housing options in Smithers, Bachrach said.
“Ultimately, the long-term solution is housing,” he said. “We continue to support groups who are working on these initiatives.”
