The city's outside workers union has accepted the proposed changes to its pension plan but Jim Stanley of the Canadian Union of Public Employees tells CHSJ News the members aren't happy about it but recognised the economic realities.
He says they were confronted with the possibility of the city tax rate rising by 17 cents. Despite that, the inside workers at City Hall have voted against the planned changes but Stanley says discussions are continuing and that could change. The Firefighters Union has not spoken publicly about what it thinks.
According to the Saint John Police Association, police department management was not kept in the loop about the changes that were passed by Common Council. The police union is urging M-L-A's to reject the proposed changes claiming there are other options that have not been examined.
Stanley maintains 30 or 40 options were looked at but there was no agreement on what the final package would be.
