Photo: Brendan Kergin/file photo

CUPE and the City of Kamloops are headed to arbitration over the municipality’s restructuring of its bylaw department.

In a news release Wednesday, CUPE 900 president Carmen Sullivan alleged the “drastic” changes will mean “higher costs for less service” and create a possible threat to public safety. 

In September the city announced it was rebranding its bylaw department to the “Community Services Division.” Along with a new name, bylaw officers would be trained to respond to social issues on top of their regular duties such as animal control, parking services, and nuisance properties.  

Sullivan called the restructuring plan “inefficient and ill-conceived...that will mean fewer officers doing more work.”

“These plans were conceived by a management group with little or no bylaw experience,” Sullivan said. “There has been no supporting data or studies provided that suggest this restructuring is in any way better for the community. This is not good for Kamloops and will cast aside workers who have kept the community safe for decades.”

CUPE 900 represents bylaw officers and jail guards employed by the city. The union says it is not opposed to changes and has tried to work with the city on the restructuring, but have reached an impasse.

“By-law enforcement officers and jail guards are proud to serve Kamloops and help protect their families, friends and neighbours in the community. They have loyally served the City – in some cases for more than 30 years – and they deserve to be heard,” says Sullivan. “As the restructuring stands now, many officers and guards will lose their jobs, and those who don’t will be expected to dramatically reorient their lives around a shift structure that does not allow for any work life balance. It’s just not right.”

CUPE 900 is arguing that the city does not have the right under the collective agreement to unilaterally force through the restructuring it has planned. As a result, the matter is set for arbitration in August 2021.

The union claims the results of the arbitration will have significant financial consequences for the city and urged mayor and council to pause the restructuring until the arbitrator can rule on it.