Government to ask public sector workers to take wage cut
EDMONTON — The province is asking public sector workers to accept a pay cut when wage arbitration talks resume later this week.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Finance Minister Travis Toews says the government will be asking arbitrators to impose a two per cent wage cut for collective bargaining agreements that are being negotiated between unions and the province.
The government had previously asked for a wage freeze for 2019. Some of the unions are asking for wage increases between three and eight per cent.
Wage reopening was set for this year, but the government passed Bill 9 this summer, which delayed arbitration until October 31. The decision was made to allow the province to look further into its finances.