The union representing Delta's civic employees is busy preparing to begin contract negotiations with the municipality.
CUPE Local 454, which represents more than 850 workers at the Corporation of Delta as well as police department civilians and employees of the Delta Museum and Archives, has formed its own committees to discuss various issues. President Darryl Robison has also been meeting with CUPE locals in other communities to formulate a coordinated approach.
"We're assessing what the other locals will be seeking at the table and see how that meshes with what we seek," he told the Delta Optimist.
The union's contract is set to expire Dec. 31, so it can legally serve notice on Sept. 1 in order to commence collective bargaining.
Noting the November municipal election could be problematic as far as negotiations go, Robison said the union will have its proposals to Delta by next month.
He also said he'd like to meet beforehand with Delta CAO George Harvie to discuss the negotiation process.
This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the certification of Delta's civic workers.
The outside employees certified with National Union of Public Employees in 1951. In 1959, the year the George Massey Tunnel opened, a group of inside workers decided to unionize as well, creating a sub-local of the outside workers.
Robison did some research on the issues facing those employees and found working conditions and job classification were the major ones, topics that are still contentious with locals today.
In 1963, the two groups affiliated with CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees), which formed that year as a result of the merger of the National Union of Public Employees and the Canadian Council of Public Employees.
In 1965, the Delta workers applied to eliminate their two separate certifications in order to come under one certification as CUPE Local 454.
The upcoming contract talks could have an element of controversy because Metro Vancouver is expected to be involved, even though its role is questioned by both the union and municipal government
In April 2010, the municipality served 24 months notice to the regional district of Delta's intention to withdraw from the region's Labour Relations Bureau, which provides contract bargaining services to member municipalities.
The department was formed decades ago to provide a united front for municipalities when they negotiated labour contracts with their civic workers.
Burnaby, Vancouver and others have also given notice while Richmond and Port Coquitlam are already out; Surrey was never a member of bureau.
Mayor Lois Jackson said at the time notice was given that the LRB served a useful role in collective bargaining matters, however problems surfaced in the last round of bargaining in 2007 with Delta's civic employees.
A report released this year by labour consultant Jim Dorsey, who was commissioned by the bureau, found the bargaining system to be broken. He recommended a new model be established for labour negotiations.
Robison agreed, saying, "The last round was a little different because we had interference from Metro Vancouver at the table and they are an active participant. They took the lead in the discussions, and they had, and still have, veto power over any agreement we could reach with Delta, so they carry a lot of power."
He said by the end of the last round of negotiations, Metro was still at the table, but he and CUPE officials got things done by speaking directly with Harvie.
"We got a deal done without the filter of Metro Vancouver trying to impose the regional mandate that was there at the time around the Olympics, and trying to negotiate a 39-month contract, which wasn't really a workable solution for Delta," Robison said.
Metro could be useful for the employer providing research and other support, but shouldn't have the final say in contract negotiations, he added.
"The issue I had with them in the past is they're trying to impose the mandate and contract language and practices that exist in other municipalities that don't necessarily work for Delta's workforce and Delta's community."
CUPE Local 454 has also formed a political action committee to ask council candidates in November's civic election their positions on issues. The local says it will endorse those who value public sector workers, will listen to concerns and who are less likely to contract out work.
