CUPE and City of P.A. reach tentative agreement to end strike

By Jaryn Vecchio

A tentative deal has been reached between the City of Prince Albert and CUPE 882.

The union, which represents inside workers for the city, will vote on whether to accept the agreement on Thursday. Results are expected to be made public after 6 p.m.

The workers have been on strike since Sept. 11, 2023.

“It’s been a lot of work. The bargaining committee has worked for days on this,” said Mira Lewis, a national representative with CUPE.

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The two sides met on Friday for a bargaining meeting. Lewis noted the meeting was respectful and focused.

“We are pleased we were able to come together in a cooperative spirit to agree to terms that will get our employees back to work,” added Kiley Bear, the Director of Corporate Services for the City of Prince Albert.

This is the second time the two sides have reached a tentative agreement. CUPE 882 halted the vote over concerns with the city’s plans to continue a call-in centre that was set up during the strike.

Members ended up voting on the agreement a couple of weeks later, however, 81 per cent rejected it.