B.C. Pavilion Corporation and its unionized workers will meet again after Labour Day to avoid a strike that could jeopardize the stadiums reopening.
Negotiators for PavCo and the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union local 1703 met with mediator Mark Brown on Wednesday and Thursday. They agreed to continue talks on Sept. 7 and 8, which is just three weeks before the targeted completion of the $563 million renovation.
The B.C. Lions are scheduled to host the Edmonton Eskimos on Sept. 30 under the new retractable roof. The Vancouver Whitecaps are supposed to move in Oct. 2 for a date with the Portland Timbers.
A Wednesday BCGEU memo to members said negotiators were still waiting for the employer to engage in meaningful dialogue based on the unions May 13 contract proposal.
Collective bargaining has progressed slowly between the parties, said the memo.
Employer representatives at the bargaining table have yet to realize the importance of the BCGEU mandate for collective bargaining. The unions message remains unchanged. The BCGEU is not interested in any changes to the current collective agreement that we consider to be a concession.
Asked if there was any progress this week, BCGEU spokeswoman Karen Tankard would only say talks are ongoing.
In 2007, the 250 security guards, housekeepers, ushers and technicians approved a four-year deal with a 9.5 percent raise and signing bonus. The agreement expired May 31 and PavCo is proposing no raise for the 20 to 25 full-time staff, 30 part-timers and 300 event-specific staff.
Everybody is obviously very aware of the Sept. 30 date, PavCo president Warren Buckley said July 31. The tone is everybody's working to a successful conclusion.
PavCo begins orientation sessions for new event staff this weekend at the Plaza of Nations.
