Council freezes their own salaries, limits non-union pay hike
Calgary: Council freezes their own salaries, limits non-union pay hike
City council members have frozen their own salaries and held non-union wages to a 1.8 per cent increase for next year, sending a strong message to unions set to start negotiating new contracts in January.
But union leaders have already told members they deserve fair wage hikes in an improving economy, and even after Wednesday’s city budget decision they’re not expected to back down.
“We’ve seen council do this before, where they freeze their pay, expect us to take less money, and then they give themselves big pay raises later,” said Doug Johannes, spokesman for the Amalgamated Transit Union, local 583.
“But we will be sitting down at the table, as usual, with an expectation of something fair and equitable.”
full story at http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Council+freezes+their+salaries+limits+union+hike/9221066/story.html