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Municipal workers in the East Kootenay city of Kimberley will be locked out of work Sunday after overwhelmingly rejecting a final offer from the city.

About 80 members of the United Steelworkers of America union voted 93 per cent to reject the city’s final offer in a vote held Thursday.

The two sides have been negotiating for months to come to a settlement, but a provincially-appointed mediator was unable to find a way out of the impasse. Last week, the city asked for its final offer to be put to a vote.

Among the issues in the dispute are wage increases, grandfathered vacation benefits and a job evaluation system.

The city announced it was serving the union with 72-hour lockout notice soon after the vote results became known. It says the negotiation process has been stressful, resulting in dozens of grievances, short-term disability claims, and dropping attendance and productivity.

The lockout takes effect on Sunday, just before 3 p.m.

Both the union and city say they’re ready to return to the bargaining table, but no new talks are planned.

They have already agreed on what essential services will continue after Sunday.

Police and fire services, water and waste facilities, and the cemetery will operate as normal. However, the city’s Aquatic Centre and two arenas will be closed, and building inspection services will not be available.