After two months, unionized staff at the Castlegar and Slocan Park StellerVista Credit Union branches remain on strike.
The 11 United Steelworkers Local 1-405 employees at the branches put up picket lines on April 30. The job action only affects StellerVista's Castlegar and Slocan Park locations and does not include the Greenwood or Cranbrook branches.
The strike followed about 11 months of negotiations between the union and the employer.
Both the employer and the union confirmed that mediation is still taking place on a regular basis.
"The two parties have engaged in mediation for four or five days over the past few weeks," said Jeff Bromley, USW spokesperson. "While some progress has been made, the employer continues to seek concessions."
The affected branches are operating under reduced hours and days but remain open.
The union says the main issues include a proposed wage freeze for two years and the reduction of benefits and provisions that have been in the collective agreement for decades.
Meanwhile StellerVista says they need to align the organization with current market practices and industry standards because "outdated systems and contracts" no longer meet the realities and challenges of today’s financial environment.
