Bathurst workers reject city's latest offer as lockout enters third week

Locked-out Bathurst municipal workers voted Wednesdayto rejectthe city's latest contract offer after two days of contract talks.

Guy DeSilva, president of CUPE Local 1282, said members voted90 per cent against the offer.

"We are bitterly disappointed" with the outcome,Mayor Paolo Fongemiesaid at a news conference Thursday. He said the lockout will continue until there's movement at the bargaining table.

On July 25, the city locked out 22 workers, including receptionists, IT support technicians, payroll and accounts clerks. City managers have been performing the duties of those locked out.

"We feel it sends a clear message," DeSilva said about the vote results. "We're ready to go back to the table, and we feel there's still room to negotiate and work out a fair deal."

DeSilvasaid the union and city made progress and settled several items during negotiations with a provincially appointed mediator Monday and Tuesday. But wages continue to be a sticking point.

The union is seeking wage increases around two per cent per year for five years, DeSilva said.The mayor said the city's offer included 1.5 per cent annually for five years.

The union says the two per cent figure is in line with the average recent increase in the cost of living based on Statistics Canada data.

But themayor points to an inflation calculator on CUPE's website which uses Statistics Canada data that puts the inflation rateat 1.28 per cent between January 2017 and December2018.

The union's executive rejected an offer from the cityin June that included a pay increase of six per cent over five years.

Fongemie has said the city can't afford to provide the wage increase the union is seeking, pointing to a tax base hit by business closures and an aging population.He saidthe council elected in 2016 is trying to get the city's finances in order.

The last contract expired in 2016.The contract hadpay rates between $23.53 per hour and $33.52, depending on the role.