Vancouver's 3,500 inside workers have voted to accept a proposal aimed at ending the 12-week-long civic strike while outside workers and library staff have rejected the settlement.

Members of CUPE Local 1004 voted against a mediator's recommendations Tuesday, shattering hope for a quick end to the prolonged civic strike in Vancouver.
(CBC)

In results released Tuesday night, the full-time and seasonal inside workers, represented by CUPE Local 15, voted 73 per cent in favour of accepting the proposed deal. About 2,000 of the 3,500 inside workers turned out for the vote.

The 800 library workers represented by CUPE Local 391 voted 78.1 per cent against mediator Brian Foley's recommendations, which were tabled on Friday.

The 1,800 outside workers, represented by CUPE Local 1004, sided with their library counterparts and rejected the deal, meaning that both outside workers and library staff remain on strike.

An existing CUPE Local 1004 bylaw stipulates that its members needed to accept the mediator's recommendations by two-thirds in order for it to bring an end to the strike. Only 58 per cent of Vancouver Parks Board's workers and 57 per cent of the city workers accepted the deal.

"There's just no way that our members can accept returning to work with less than what other civic workers have negotiated in this round of bargaining," said Mike Jackson, president of CUPE Local 1004.

The 3,500 full-time and seasonal inside workers, represented by CUPE Local 15, voted 73 per cent in favour of accepting the proposed deal.
(CBC)

Foley's recommendations included a 17.5 per cent pay hike over five years, a $1,000 signing bonus, whistleblower rules, no loss in seniority and vacation pay and sick pay during the strike, as well as limits on contracting out by the city.

"We're really proud of our members who have stood so strong, against such odds for a reasonable contract for themselves and future city employees," said Paul Faoro, president of CUPE Local 15.

But Jackson said the mediator overlooked some of the key issues such as benefit improvements for new hires and contract language to bring a fair system to the assignment of overtime.

He also said the Olympic agreement Foley assigned to CUPE Local 1004 is devoid of the dispute resolution process he granted to CUPE Local 15.

"We're also baffled at why CUPE 15 got the same Olympic agreement that we had tabled to the mediator and we got an inferior agreement," Jackson said.

Civic workers belonging to the three locals wrapped up voting Tuesday evening on whether to accept Foley's recommendations.

CUPE Local 15 president Paul Faoro said Tuesday night his local would continue to work with and support other locals that may not opt for the mediated settlement.
(CBC)

The inside workers were encouraged by their leaders to accept the recommendations, while the outside workers and library workers were urged by their leadership to reject the deal.

City council to vote Wednesday

Faoro said if the City of Vancouver also ratifies the recommendations Wednesday, the 2,500 inside workers could be back on the job as early as Thursday.

Mayor Sam Sullivan said earlier Tuesday his council is set to vote "in-camera" Wednesday afternoon if union members accept the mediator's recommendations. Sullivan said if the vote is positive the city will try to get people back to work as quickly as it can.

More than 300 inside workers share worksites with outside and library workers at city work yards, libraries, and community centres with libraries and/or outdoor pools.

Although there are no unionized outside and library staff working at Vancouver City Hall, union leaders have warned that outside workers could choose to expand their pickets to that building.

Leaders of the inside workers' union said they would tell their members to go back to work if they voted yes, but would not force them to cross picket lines.

If outside workers expand their picketing to city hall, the issue would be resolved at the Labour Relations Board, city spokesman Jerry Dobrovolny told CBC News Tuesday evening.

The board must examine each application for picketing at a particular location and decide whether there is a valid reason to picket there, Dobrovolny said.

The outside workers walked off the job on July 20, forcing city hall to suspend some municipal services, including residential garbage collection.

The inside workers, who carry out municipal duties inside city hall as well as parking enforcement, joined the strike three days later.

The library staff have been off the job since July 26, closing 22 library branches.