Kelowna jail guards will be ready to go out on strike as of Friday morning.
CUPE Local 338 members, who work as jail guards at the Kelowna RCMP Detachment, have re-issued 72-hour strike notice to Commissionaires BC, to be effective as of 6 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22.
Strike notice was originally served last week, however the union chose to delay serving it until this week.
“Kelowna jail guards work to keep their community safe every day, and they deserve to make a living wage,” said CUPE national representative and lead negotiator Harry Nott. “We have urged Commissionaires BC to reconsider their position, and meet with us prior to the beginning of this strike. We still believe this strike could be avoided.”
Nott says that should Commissionaires BC revise their offer or agree to a bargaining session, the union would consider putting strike action on hold.
CUPE 338 represents 1,000 members.
Seventeen of those members work at the Kelowna RCMP detachment as jail guards and provide services including overseeing prisoners, assisting with prisoner searches and cell searches, organizing meals, recording prisoner activity, finger printing, and dispensing approved prescription medications to persons in custody.
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