After 12 months of bargaining, including the last four days of mediation with a provincial mediator, the United Steelworkers (USW) bargaining committee for the membership at Kootenay Savings Credit Union (KSCU) issued a 72-hour strike notice to the employer Monday night in Trail.

USW Locals 9705 and 1-405, representing unionized branches and offices in Kimberley, Trail, Castlegar, Salmo, South Slocan, Kaslo and Fruitvale will be in a legal strike position on Friday, October 21. Talks broke off Monday night.

In response to the strike notice, KSCU has issued a 72-hour lockout notice, which will put both parties in a legal work stoppage position as of  9 a.m. Mountain time, on Friday, October 21.

“The employer continued to refuse to remove their concession that eliminates the pension protection language that was bargained into the agreement almost 30 years ago,” said Dean Lott, lead negotiator for the union.

“The employer continues not come to the table with a fair wage increase and insisting on the pension concession. Our membership, with a strike mandate of 96.3%, is not going to waver on this issue. The pension protection language is the most important issue on the table and it has to continue to be in the collective agreement.”

“The employer has not shown us any model where there is any kind of worst-case scenario for the removal of the language. We will not bargain ‘what if’s.’” The union remains committed to returning the table to bargain a fair collective agreement at any time,” Lott said

Following meetings with all branches of unionized employees at Kootenay Savings Credit Union, a renewed strike mandate of 96.3% – an increase of two per cent – was voted upon by members of USW Locals 1-405 and 9705 in September. The bargaining committee will communicate the next steps to the membership this week.

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