UPDATE: Naramata Centre to close after 70 years
NARAMATA – Naramata Centre, a pillar of the community since the late 1940s, is closing its doors after nine months of labour struggles, declining revenues and a failed plan to push forward.
A release late Wednesday, Jan. 21, says the board of directors decided to pull the plug effective immediately, sending some 34 workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees off the picket lines and out of work.
Naramata Centre is a program and retreat centre owned by the United Church and adds other services in Naramata. Management triggered a labour dispute last May when it tried to restructure and cut costs by outsourcing some of its programs.
The centre tried to keep going by raising $500,000 but according to their release, short-term funding wasn't going to solve its problems.
"The review concluded that the Centre could not continue to operate in a feasible, sustainable, and responsible manner on a long-term basis," the release says.
In May 2014, 30 unionized employees began striking in response to a plan to replace long-term staff with new lower-paid and non-unionized positions. In November the union filed an application to bring both sides to the bargaining table and that application remains in front of the Labour Relations Board.
In response to the closure announcement the union says it will look to renew discussions with church representatives.
“We have had 30 employees on strike and on a picket line at the United Church’s Naramata Centre for over eight months. This dispute has always been about fair treatment of loyal employees and we will seek fair treatment as part of any closure of operations and discussions on the future of the property,” CUPE National Servicing Representative Tom O’Leary said in a statement Thursday.
Anyone who contributed to the fundraising campaign will be contacted soon to determine if they want a charitable donation receipt or their money back.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
— This story was updated at 1:57 p.m., Jan. 22 with information from the union.
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53 responses
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Jan. 2014 the ED announced to the employees she was going to let them go and contract out their jobs.In other words YOUR FIRED! Just like that.Don’t need you anymore.These were employees who had worked there for 5,10, 15, 20 years and more and for a little more than minimum wage.they were not asking for more money, Just to keep their jobs.if you had worked there for 20 years and were told you were being let go without just cause so they could give your job to someone else.You would do it happilyRight?And don’t blame the union because even if these employees were not union, Canada has a Labor Relations Board that would not allowan employee to be let go without just cause. ( which the ED was not able to provide).
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Robert Peter So does that hip surgery Grandpa along with the knee surgery you and all your seniors are DEMANDING FOR FREE. I’ll tell you what….. you get all those friendly seniors to start paying for all the cost of their medical needs and that they are passing on to me in the form of taxes. When you’ve accomplished that look me up. Until then don’t be complaining about increased taxes!
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This is sad indeed.While the union was indeedan issue, I believe it was only the catalyst the tothis final outcome.The Centre has been under financial stress for years and the functioning model, though well intended, could not be sustained.It has been enjoyed by many patrons, families, staff, leaders. I can only hope the community of Naramata will benefit by a responsible plan that incorporates a legacyof community that the Centre represented
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I agree Jeff St Germain. Real loss is for the community including those that will lose their jobs. However I have to take you to task with you inference that unions were only relevant in the 70’s and 80’s. Remember that company I owned? Well I sold it in 2009 for a good profit to a partnership that was more than eager to sign a document accepting the collective agreement that was in place and continuing the relationship with the union. From my perspective unions are just as relevant now as they were in the past. I’m not saying that everyday was sunshine and rainbows with the union but there was never a lock out, work to rule or even a call for a strike vote let alone an actual strike. That’s what happens when both sides have a common goal and are treated like fairly.
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Naramata Centre is not owned by the United Church.It is an independent Society that was given birth by United Church- United Church minister.United Church of Canada has influence but no formal power.
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So sad it had to come to this…. as a member of the United Church I would hope that CUPE could compromise for the good of the local and larger community. Naramata Centre was a needed resource, retreat.
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Well that explains why my union didn’t hold it’s twice yearly educational conference there. Main reason we used the center. Main reason we could not use the center? Thou shalt not cross a picket line. Looks like mgmt cut qtheir own business throat by not bargaining in good faith. No pun intended
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there are those who will always blame unions….. they fail to realize that unions are the only reason they get paid as much as they do… if you get rid of unions Harper wins.. then you can look forward to right to work legislation…. personally I think a lot of complainers are actually business people who would like to keep wages down so it leaves more money in their pockets.
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trust me its the union and as a tax payer I don’t want the govt to give them anything.
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lol……move out we don’t need your kind in the okanagan better yet move to the middle east….
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further to this we all have what we have as RIGHTS as a work force because unions have fought for those RIGHTS you now enjoy in what ever endeavor you do.work week weekends off right to medicaldays off, so much has been gained by people who stand up for all workers union or not! so think about some of the rights you now enjoy as you slam union workers wo just want a fair shake.It would be nice to be able to keep up with the cost of living so that loaf of bread you buy today costs same next week! it goes up but does your income go up acordingly? that’s what I thought.
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Who won here Barb Snelgrove? Well probably the United Church who will promptly sell the property to a developer for several million dollars so people can build expensive homes on the beautiful waterfront.
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Robert Peter. The only things unions have done for you are.1 A fair work week 2. Maternity benefits 3 Health and safety regulations. 4 Advocating for a fair pension for all Canadians. 5. Annual vacations. 6 Statutory holidays. 7. Allowed business people an opportunity to make a good living. Having owned my own business for many years and ENCOURAGING my employees to unionize allowed me to make FAR more money than having a non union shop. Perhaps you are the dinosaur and need to get with the times! I enjoyed having everyone of my employees who worked for me going home to have a good income that allowed their families to live a life that was poverty free.
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Robert Peter. The only things unions have done for you are.1 A fair work week 2. Maternity benefits 3 Health and safety regulations. 4 Advocating for a fair pension for all Canadians. 5. Annual vacations. 6 Statutory holidays. 7. Allowed business people an opportunity to make a good living.Having owned my own business for many years and ENCOURAGING my employees to unionize allowed me to make FAR more money than having a non union shop. Perhaps you are the dinosaur and need to get with the times! I enjoyed having everyone of my employees who worked for me going home to have a good income that allowed their families to live a life that was poverty free.
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These people have to live like anyone else.Everyone deserves a living wageand decent working conditions.Why is it that only the people at the top of the ladder get to have this privilege? Maybe that is a question to pose to the church leaders.
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that’s the problem with unions, their ego. unions would rather everyone lost their jobs than compromise and everyone keep their jobs. maybe not so much in this case where it looks like the centre should’ve rethought sourcing out and tried to work with the union.
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Wrong title: UNION WORKERS OF THE INFANOUS and most hated UNION in the Canada shutdown Naramata Center. Another fine example of CUPE PURE GREED. Because they CAUSED THE CLOSURE they should not be eligible to any benefit of any kind.In fact jail time is in order. After all been member of a PROVEN CRIMINAL Organization (CUPE) is against the law.
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All for none and none for all…….the picket signs say!one sad day for the whole community.
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Tony Ryanonly thing unions did for me is cost me more tax dollars time for them to go bye bye.
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send the jobs to china……they appropriate the work…….time for unions to go bye bye…..service jobs don’t get unions to do them they wont get done.
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Hello mother-Hello Father-Here I am locked out in Naramata-Name the satirical authour-I’ll send you a bible.
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Joe Watkin LOL @ this statement-if the catholic church was described as a business in America it would be the 5th largest -even after several diocese declaring bankrupcies recently.
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Sometimes you need to look at the core challenge-Management and workers disagree on a continual basis.How the management and workers got into a position where its more feasible to walk away from the challenge is baffling.We need well paid workers in this province more than ever.Is contracting out an alternative to the existing program? Been on both sides of this challenge.Odd the participants in this though.
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so see some are slamming unions again!So they wantto pay people to work there 10 bucks hour? how would they support family on that wag? Okanagan is not cheap place to live and we who live here pay the “sunshine tax” to live here if this church took some of it’s huge money profits and invested it there and had proper management, it wouls work.bottom line churh wants to keep it’s money and want people to work for slave labor wages.THAT is the reality of this folks, not greed union! wake up
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Actually way to go United Church! Makes it seem hypocritical for the Church to speak out on social justice and economic equality issues closing down the center in the middle of a strike that was the result of them seeking concessions from the workers.
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its not just the union,its both part,the management.. cost of living expenses,the cost of running a center of this size,much neededGovernment funding and grants etc.,its all little things that add to the big…the blame cant be placed apon just one thing ,sad to see it close… much needed..
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Shane, if you know of a rich Christian church please send me the address, even the RCs are not doing very well.
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for those of you who enjoy a five day work week, safe working conditions, labour day, and the list goes on, thank organized labour.
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I take it that since it’s church managed we don’t have an open audit to see what was going on//?
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I have seen first hand the misdeeds of church leaders when dealing with this sort of ‘business’, that coupled with the misdeeds of a greedy union had failure written all over it. Best outcome would be a purchase of the building and possibly a similar operation hopefully without union or religion to screw it up.
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Your name calling as opposed to intelligent rebuttal would indicate who the idiot is. That and you can’t figure out how to reply directly to him. Unions are doing the very same thing to Canada Post right now, the countdown is on for that once proud employer.
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Perhaps the pastors expecting to retire in houses worth more than a million dollars, might have just a little to do with the demise of this place that did – at one time, provide place for incredible thought,development of superb community initiatives. Abuse of position, perhaps by all parties involved might be why it has reached a stalemate. Systems are only as good as those at the helm.
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What ASTOUNDS me is that the Union side doesn’t click to keep an eye on their volunteers (there are many), how these issues are now open, and how to use the new media. Small communities can’t take the ongoing hit that large centres can. Anyone at the Hall know how to run a web blog? Get your side out bro., the world she is “a changen”.
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Not a surprise that CUPE is involved.This is the union that has negotiatedfor government worker’s contracts which require continuous subsidization and grants over and above those negotiated for with government.
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That is sad, as all the volunteers and people that have kept it going all this time contributed so much…It is too bad we even have to pay to meditate and learn higher truths that would help us be better humans…Too bad the b.c. gv couldn’t purchase the property and provide free services, It is a beautiful building, who ever designed itandwhoever added to it’s construction, they were brilliant…
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This is a sad outcome. The Naramata Centre added a lot of positive experiences to my childhood in Naramata.
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another one for the union like I sair before get rid of the union its better to make a little bit less and have a job then trying to bust the bank and be out of work.
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