Lack of interest in teaching swimming led to special labour deal
GRANDE PRAIRIE – Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have voted to accept a special deal aimed at reversing the lack of interest in teaching swimming lessons.
CUPE Local 787 President Randy Wald said the City was losing revenue because it couldn’t find people to teach swimming lessons during the day.
“Many schools have special swimming programs,” said Wald. “But because most of the lifeguards and swim instructors are students – they are only available evenings and weekends.”
The deal, said Wald, creates two new job classifications for people who want to teach, but don’t want to be a lifeguard.
“There are people who have identified themselves to the City as having an interest in teaching,” said Wald. “But they were not interested in the extra duties of being a lifeguard.”
“It just took a bit of flexibility on the part of both parties to come up with a solution that hopefully solves the problem.”
Wald said that with negotiations coming up between the City and the Union, it would have been easy for the Union to push the matter back. “But we decided that the good of the community comes first.”
Contact:
Randy Wald
President, CUPE 787
780.814.9087
For more information about CUPE Alberta, visit www.alberta.cupe.ca
LA/lmac
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