Council approved a resolution for a collective agreement for the Community Safety Officers Association at its meeting Monday. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

In the chambers

Council approves CSO union’s new collective agreement

Sep 25, 2019 | 12:11 PM

North Battleford lawmakers approved a new collective agreement and annual salary increases with the Community Safety Officers’ Association.

At council’s recent meeting, they also authorized a separate letter of understanding for a $20,000 lump-sum payment to the association that is part of the agreement.

The three-year agreement is in effect from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2020. The negotiation process started in the fall of 2017.

According to the letter, the single lump-sum payment reflects initial start up costs incurred by the new union, and to recognize that its members will not receive any retroactive pay or signing bonuses under the collective agreement.

The contract reflects the following annual salary increases: two per cent for 2018; 1.75 per cent for 2019; and 1.5 per cent for 2020. The new wages go into effect as of Sept. 9, 2019, which was agreed to by the group.

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Director of Human Resources Trish McConnell said the city’s management team and the North Battleford Community Safety Officers’ Association worked together to negotiate the agreement and its details.

“The city recognizes that sometimes it can take up to 18 to 24 months to negotiate a brand new collective agreement,” McConnell said. “So, it has required a lot of patience on the negotiation group of the Community Safety Officers’ Association because the new management team didn’t go through this at the very beginning. They have had to have a great deal of patience. So, the goal is always to really bargain a collective agreement. In this case we were able to do so.”

The agreement will be formally be signed by the CSO Association representatives and the mayor and council at a later date when everyone is present.

Mayor Ryan Bater said he appreciates the negotiation process was a long one given the circumstances.

“As you pointed out, this effort began in Nov. 2017,” he said to McConnell. “It can take some time with the new association, but I’m happy to hear that council is being presented with an agreement here tonight. So, thanks for all the patience, and all the hard work.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow