BY CRAIG GILBERT
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The strike at Greater Sudbury Utilities is over.
Over 80 Canadian Union of Public Employee (CUPE) Local 4705 members could be helping keep the city's lights on as early as tomorrow.
Local 4705 president Wyman MacKinnon called the 88 per cent ratification vote by 68 of the 82 members a Â?victory for labour, a victory for the local and a victory for the community.
Â?New hires will have benefits after age 65 at the same level in our eyes, but funded in a different way than our current workers and retirees.Â?
The workers, who perform duties ranging from office clerical to power line maintenance to street lamp replacements, stayed out for 125 days to defend lifelong benefits for new hires. Their benefit package was never considered for concessions by the hydro board.
MacKinnon was pleased with the memorandum of understanding, which members ratified at the CUPE Hall on Lasalle Boulevard Friday night. But he warned the 12 percent that voted against it indicates management still has some work to do.
Â?Those 12 percent aren't satisfied and as a local we have to address those concerns,Â? he said. Â?But it's a good, four-year agreement.Â?
Doug Levesque is the GIS crew leader in the utility's mapping department.
He is happy with the agreement, but not with city councillors, especially the four that sit on the hydro board: Mayor David Courtemanche, Ward 1 Councillor Terry Kett, Ward 3 Councillor Ron Dupuis and chair and Ward 5 Councillor Doug Craig.
Â?We will lobby against those that lobbied against us,Â? he said. Â?We will also be lobbying for an elected board of directors.Â?
Second to none was the support from other labour unions, businesses and the community, according to MacKinnon.
Â?We are so proud of this community,Â? he said. Â?They helped maintain our picket line morale and helped the membership out financially.Â?
The deal includes wage increases of 11.5 percent over the four-year life of the contract: three percent retroactive to April 1, another three percent effective April 1, 2005 and April 1, 2006 respectively and 2.5 percent on that date in 2007, plus Â?special out of schedule salary.Â?
