Bargaining Update #16- City of Winnipeg

Jun 14, 2026

A Historic Milestone for Local 500

We are pleased to share an important update regarding collective bargaining with the City.

We met with the employer on June 9 and 10th. For the first time in the history of Local 500, the Employer has agreed to a process of interest arbitration for our bargaining unit.

This is a significant achievement and represents a major breakthrough in this round of negotiations. It is important to note that this is a one-time agreement specific to the current round of bargaining. This demonstrates a willingness by both parties to pursue an alternative approach to resolving bargaining disputes.

As part of this agreement, the parties will no longer be negotiating the terms of an Essential Services Agreement (ESA) during this round of bargaining. Instead, both sides have agreed that if negotiations reach an impasse, either party may refer outstanding issues to an independent arbitration panel for a final and binding decision.

Most importantly, this process means there will be no strike and no lockout during this round of bargaining. Members will continue to provide services to the public while receiving their regular wages and benefits.

Many members will be familiar with interest arbitration as the process used by Police and Fire services. Those groups access arbitration because it is provided under legislation. While Local 500 does not have the same legislative framework, both parties have mutually agreed to use a similar process for this round of bargaining.

By mutually agreeing to interest arbitration now, the parties have established a direct path to resolving any bargaining impasse without requiring members to first endure a lengthy strike or lockout.

It is also important for members to understand the alternative. Under the normal bargaining process, either party can apply for interest arbitration after a strike or lockout has been in place for at least 60 days. In other words, arbitration could ultimately become the mechanism used to resolve an impasse even without this agreement.

Interest arbitration does not replace collective bargaining. The Union and the City will continue to negotiate in good faith and work toward reaching a freely negotiated collective agreement. While there is still important work ahead at the bargaining table, this agreement provides a stronger framework for reaching a fair and timely resolution.

We meet with the Employer again on June 16 and 25th. We will continue to keep members informed as negotiations progress and provide further updates as they become available.

Rumours

The rumour mill will be hard at work during bargaining. Please don’t believe anything you hear unless it comes from the Union. If you have a serious concern about something you’ve heard, contact us at 204-942-1001 or send us an email: union@cupe500.mb.ca.

Watch for more information

Your bargaining committee will keep you informed as progress is made. As a reminder, because of the sensitive nature of negotiations, the bargaining committee is not able to give you a step-by-step explanation of everything that is discussed during the bargaining process. However, should we reach a settlement or impasse, members will be fully informed.

Members should continue to check the bulletin boards or visit the Local 500 website for updates. Remember, if you have personal email access, you can sign up to receive email updates on the home page of the Local’s website at cupe500.mb.ca.

Thank you for your continued support and solidarity.

Negotiating Committee

The negotiating committee for CUPE Local 500 is:

Gord Delbridge President, CUPE Local 500
Andrea Sontag President, Civic Services Unit
Phil Dembicki President, Community Services Unit
Jon Shalapata President, Public Works Unit
Rachel Hildebrandt President, Water and Waste Unit
Patrick Troughton Member at Large
Kristy Halliday Member at Large
Alex McClurg CUPE National Staff Representative
Mahdia Hasan CUPE National Staff Representative
Malcolm Daley CUPE National Staff Representative
Nicholas McClurg Local 500 Special Assignments Officer
Rebecca Scott Local 500 Special Assignments Officer