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Inside city workers picket outside Saint John City Hall on Sept. 12, 2023. Image: Submitted/Brittany Doyle

City, striking workers reach tentative agreement

By Brad Perry Oct 7, 2023 | 2:05 PM

A nearly four-week strike by around 140 city workers in Saint John has come to an end.

The city and CUPE Local 486 reached a tentative agreement on Friday, the city said in a news release on Saturday.

“Saint John Common Council and the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners will be asked to approve the new agreement on October 10, 2023. The Executive of CUPE Local 486 will also recommend ratification to their membership prior to October 10, 2023,” said the release.

The city’s inside workers have been on strike since Sept. 12 after failing to reach an agreement.

Wages have been the main sticking point in the dispute. The union has said the city was not following its wage escalation policy, while city staff said the deal they were offering was fair.

A CUPE spokesperson says all picketing will stop until members have a chance to vote on the tentative deal.

CUPE Local 486 represents around 140 clerical, administrative and support staff who work in several city departments, including police/fire/911 dispatch, customer service, bylaw enforcement, permitting, recreation, court services, financial services, administrative support, IT and technical roles.