The union which represents locked-out municipal workers in Holyrood says their wages are far below other municipalities in the region, thus their decision to take a strike vote.
The town got the jump on them by locking them out this morning. The 15 employees are responsible for things like snow and ice control, water and sewer and other municipal services.
The town says its final offer was generous—5.5 per cent over three years on top of a nine per cent raise over the previous three years. To give more would mean a tax increase, says Holyrood.
CUPE negotiator Ed White says that sounds good on the outside but workers in Holyrood are well below wages paid by towns of similar size and neighbouring Conception Bay South.
White says if wages were similar to other municipalities, there probably wouldn’t have been a lockout or strike vote.
Holyrood says wages have gone up by almost 60 per cent over the past 15 years.