Did You Know??

Currently our operator rate (fixed route conventional rate of pay is $23.85 per hr. With the proposed wage settlement of 10% over 4 years expiring Dec.31, 2016, the rate of pay would be $26.30 per hour.

The current western Canadian average today using the following 5 cities is $30.07. Calgary ($34.59) Edmonton($34.01) Lethbridge($27.30) Red Deer($28.91) Regina ($25.58). Accepting this offer would mean we would be $3.77 per hr  below Todays current Western Canadian Average. As Of Jan.1/15 our wage would be $25.56 per hour or the equivalent of 89% of the WCA.

Our proposal is that we use this WCAveraging formula at the rate of 95% as of April 2015 to determine until the end of 2016 what our pay would increase. Using todays information, this would mean effective April 1, 2015, $28.56 or 95% of WCA is where we would be based on our proposal. Using todays rates that would equate to $0.98 per hr increase over their offer. 3 Of these 5 cities are currently negotiating with 1 more expiring the end of this year. Currently our Saskatoon Police have used this almost identical formula to determine their wage increases for their last 2 agreements. They are at 98% of the WCAverage. Wage comparisons with other cities is a fair and equitable way to determine rates in Saskatoon. We are not asking to be at 100% or even 98%. When cities such as Red Deer and Lethbridge value their operators at $27.30 and $28.91 today, why are we only offered $26.30 up until the end of 2016?

Why are we paid less to haul people than our brothers and sisters hauling garbage? No disrespect to our brothers and sisters hauling garbage for the city of Saskatoon, but moving people safely should be as important as moving refuse.

These comparable cities obviously value the work and compensate accordingly. Saskatoon should do the same. This formula would be the template for all other equally important classifications in our CBA. Whatever the WCA increase is ,it would automatically apply to all classifications and be calculated in April and October of 2015,2016 in our proposal.

This would mean that we would never find ourselves lower than 95% of the WCA and secure that we would not be the lowest paid in Western Canada .The city has stated they have no interest in this proposal and just recently offered us the same offer that was available in Dec.2015.