Charlottetown water and sewer workers back on the job after 100+ days of striking

After more than 100 days on the picket line, Charlottetown’s water and sewer workers are returning to work.

Charlottetown's city council voted 6-0 at its regular meeting Wednesday night to accept a new collective agreement negotiated between CUPE Local 830 and the city’s bargaining team.

Councillors John McAleer, Mitchell Tweel and Terry Bernard were not at the meeting. Coun. Trevor MacKinnon was in conflict and didn’t vote.

“It feels really good, not only for myself, but for council, for the citizens of Charlottetown and the union, CUPE Local 830. This has been a long strike,” says Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown, adding he hopes the transition back to work goes smoothly for those who were off the job.

“I made it quite clear that, you know, we have to make sure our human resources team is on the ground to provide any kind of assistance.”

Members of CUPE Local 830 first walked off the job in July to fight for a new collective agreement with the city.

Negotiations were tense, with union members taking various actions to get the attention of the public and city hall. Council meetings were disrupted multiple times with loud music, horns and chanting. At one point, a giant inflatable rat with a scab was set up outside city hall, and union members used a scissor lift to raise themselves up to the council chamber windows to demonstrate.

Last month, union members had an outburst at a council meeting, which resulted in some of them being banned from city hall for a period of time. With the new agreement now signed, those bans have been lifted.

CUPE Local 830 President Robbie Howatt said members had already voted to accept the deal, and council’s approval was the final step. Workers will return to the job on Thursday, he said.

Union members had been striking over wages and concerns about required certifications, which meant some employees had to pass a specific test within a certain timeframe to continue their work.

“We will be looking at the certification process. Instead of 12 months, it's going to be going up to 28 months. I think there's goals that we can all work together [on] that are in that agreement.”

The new contract is backdated to Jan. 1, 2023 and includes a two per cent raise every year up to the end of 2026. It also includes backpay and a cost-of-living allowance, Brown said. 

“It's an eight per cent increase over four years,” Brown said.

Council also voted to create three new positions in the water and sewer department: a utility foreman, field supervisor and GIS co-ordinator.