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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City council is expected to vote on a new collective bargaining agreement reached between the city and the union representing city workers after employees approved the deal in a vote Wednesday.

Acting senior administrative officer Dennis Kefalas confirmed yesterday that city workers, represented by Public Service Alliance of Canada local X0345, agreed to a three-year collective agreement. Yellowknifer erroneously reported that city management had walked away from negotiations in Yellowknifer's Wednesday's edition.

The tentative agreement, details of which have not been disclosed, is retroactive to Jan. 1 and runs until Dec. 31, 2015. It covers 170 permanent, casual and seasonal city employees.

"The actual final details will be made available when it comes to council on March 11," said Kefalas.

Kefalas said initial bargaining sessions began in December after the previous two-year agreement was due to expire at the end of the year. The union applied for a conciliator during the negotiating process through the federal government and the conciliator assisted with negotiations on Feb. 26. The union ratified the agreement Wednesday.

Council approved a bylaw to authorize a two-year collective agreement with the International Association of Fire Fighters at a special council meeting, Feb. 11. The term for this contract is retroactive from Jan. 1, 2012 until Dec. 31, 2013.

"So we will be back at the table this December negotiating with their union and we expect to be negotiating for enforcement officers at the end of this year, too," said Kefalas.

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