# Collective Bargaining Calendar And Budget Opportunities

Updated: 2026-09-18

This calendar records the public bargaining dates that matter for the 2027
budget. It identifies potential compensation and cost-control opportunities
without booking savings before successor terms, loaded payroll costs and
service requirements are known.

## Important Dates

| Unit | Current public term or status | Next planning window | Budget relevance |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CUPE 1189-00, inside workers | January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026 | Successor agreement from January 1, 2027 | A successor agreement could affect the full 2027 operating year. |
| CUPE 1189-01, outside workers | April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027 | Successor agreement from April 1, 2027 | A successor agreement would affect the final three quarters of 2027 and later years. |
| Fire Local 531 | The public City record describes the 2019 agreement as expired and interest arbitration as in progress. | Obtain the current arbitration status and award before forecasting a new term. | A retroactive award or settlement could affect several years and requires a separate reserve and levy review. |

The inside-worker settlement provided wage increases of 3.5% in 2024, 3.5% in
2025 and 3.0% in 2026. The outside-worker settlement provided 6.0% effective
April 1, 2024, 3.0% effective April 1, 2025 and 3.0% effective April 1, 2026.

## Potential Negotiation Benefits

The City could bring several compensation structures to bargaining:

- a zero or smaller general cost-of-living increase;
- fixed-dollar increases that provide more benefit at lower wage levels;
- a consumer-price-index formula with a published ceiling;
- a longer agreement with predictable annual increases; and
- changes to premiums, benefits, progression, scheduling or productivity that
  reduce total employer cost while protecting service capacity.

The potential budget benefit is the difference between the negotiated total
employer cost and the status-quo compensation path. The calculation should
include wages, step progression, overtime, premiums, benefits, pension,
payroll costs, vacancies, retroactive payments and any implementation cost.

## December 31 Success Case

For the 2027 campaign draft, a successful inside-worker negotiation means a
successor agreement beginning January 1, 2027 with a **0 percent general wage
increase**. The draft therefore carries the 2026 levy forward at current wage
levels rather than adding an automatic 3 percent increase. The 3 percent figure
from the 2026 budget remains a comparison benchmark only.

The 2021 City labour report placed CUPE 1189-00 annual payroll at approximately
`$1.87 million` for 30 members. That implies approximately `$56,100` of avoided
growth against a 3 percent comparison. Applying the known 2024-2026 inside-worker
wage increases to that older payroll produces an upper comparison of about
`$61,899`. These figures show the value relative to the comparison benchmark;
the actual levy effect is holding the 2026 base flat. The current working
operating levy after the documented program, survey and software adjustments is
approximately **`$37,913,750`**, or **`$219,471 / 0.58 percent below`** the 2026
existing-resident levy reference.

The outside-worker agreement continues through March 31, 2027, and Fire Local
531 remains subject to the public interest-arbitration process. Any successor
terms or award must be added as a separate contractual adjustment.

## 2027 Budget Treatment

The draft budget should show two labour-cost cases for each unit:

1. the current agreement or arbitration reference path; and
2. a negotiated successor-term case with the proposed compensation structure.

The operating case carries current 2026 compensation forward, assumes the
December 31 CUPE 1189-00 successor has a 0 percent general wage increase, and
adds no automatic cost-of-living increase for eligible non-unionized positions
at or above the current living-wage benchmark. Eligible positions below the
benchmark may receive increases to reach and track the published floor. The
three-percent figure remains a comparison benchmark. The outside-worker
successor from April 1, 2027 and the Fire Local 531 arbitration remain
separate contractual budget items until their terms or award are available.

Before bargaining mandates are finalized, publish or obtain:

- the current wage grids and classifications;
- filled and vacant positions by unit;
- complete employer cost by position;
- step, premium, overtime and leave rules;
- benefit and pension costs;
- service, staffing and safety requirements; and
- any retroactive arbitration exposure.

This information would allow residents to see the cost of each proposed
settlement and the resulting effect on property taxes, water and wastewater
rates, service capacity and future budgets.

## Sources

- [CUPE 1189-00 and labour-relations report](https://pub-owensound.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=42376)
- [CUPE 1189-01 ratification notice](https://www.owensound.ca/news-and-public-notices/posts/city-of-owen-sound-and-union-cupe-1189-ratify-new-agreement-for-outside-workers/)
- [Fire interest-arbitration work plan](https://pub-owensound.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=46416)