NNSL (DEC 04/96) - The City has entered into a new collective agreement with its employees.

The two-year agreement, set to take effect in January, brought some cuts for city employees.

Neither city officials nor the union for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Local X0345 are commenting on the concessions.

Doug Lagore, senior administrator with the City, would only say that there has been a rollback in some employee benefits and no salary increase.

Ruth Spence (left), the only city councillor against the agreement, said that the employee benefits should not have been cut.

"I don't think it's fair to take things away that have been negotiated by employees," she said.

Spence maintains that an agreement could have been made without making the cuts.

However, Alderman Blake Lyons said it was an amiable agreement that was made reasonably quickly.

Negotiations between the City and the union concluded Nov. 28, the same day Local X0345 ratified the new agreement.

The contract outlines the terms of employment and rates of pay for City employees.

Lyons maintains that the agreement -- valid until Dec. 31, 1998 -- will allow the city to do more long-term planning.

The collective bargaining agreement is expected to be ratified by council next Monday.