The second round of job action this month is underway in the City of Cambridge.
Talks between the city and inside workers broke down on Thursday afternoon, and workers went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Friday. The job action comes on the heels of a strike by the city's outside workers that was just resolved last week.
CUPE local 1882, which represents 163 inside workers, says the strike follows three days of negotiations between the city, the union, and a provincially appointed mediator.
Union executive Nancy Movrin says talks broke down after city negotiators tried to undo language that had been established in a previous contract.
“This is not about asking for something new, it is about holding onto what the employer had already agreed to,” Movrin said.
The city says it was surprised by the turn of events on Thursday evening.
“This is not the outcome we were working toward,” said Gary Dyke, City Manager.
“We understand the inconvenience a second labour disruption causes our residents. At the end of the day, we need to come to a resolution that is fair, equitable for all our employees, and affordable for the taxpayers in our city,” Dyke said.
Most of the services in Cambridge will remain operational; however residents can expect some delays.
Services that are expected to be affected include city facilities, cemeteries, bylaw enforcement and planning applications.
Dyke is asking residents to be patient once again.
“We value our employees and want to get them back to work as soon as possible,” he said.
With reporting by Carina Sledz
