Kamloops staff say restructuring bylaw services is within the grounds of the contract between the city and its unionized bylaw workers.

Changes will come into effect on Jan. 1, and CUPE 900 president Carmen Sullivan says the city doesn’t have the right to change the job description of bylaw officers.

City Manager David Trawin tells NL News that an arbitrator has been hired.

“We have no qualms about how we feel, and that we’re quite within our rights of the collective agreement. And they feel there are some areas of the collective agreement where we’re not, so we hired an arbitrator to advise us on that.”

The union says “many” bylaw members will lose their jobs in the restructuring, but Trawin says he couldn’t comment on that statement because details are still being worked out. But he did say the budget for bylaw services will stay the same, with increased training for members.

“We’re committed to increase service levels related to community safety and security, through the creation of the new Community Services division, and increasing the training of the officers. So our intent is to have a different aspect of each officer on what we need them to do, compared to what they’ve previously done, given the changing nature out there of what’s happening.”

Sullivan says the plan is being forced on bylaw workers by the city, saying members who do not lose their jobs “will be expected to dramatically reorient their lives around a shift structure that does not allow for any work-life balance.”

The arbitration hearing will happen in August of 2021.