Edmonton city worker strike: Edmontonians unsure on how rec centres will be affected

It’s unclear right now what impact a public sector worker strike will have at City rec centres, but what do those who workout at them think about a strike?

“I play pickleball here, and yeah I hope they settle. They deserve a raise, they haven’t had one since 2018,” said one Edmontonian CityNews spoke to.

The Edmontonians exercising at Kinsmen Tuesday afternoon say they won’t go if picket lines happen in front of City recreational centres.

Edmonton’s civic service employees will walk off the job Thursday morning as the union tells CityNews a deal could still not be reached late Tuesday.

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It’s not just some rec centre staff that will be on strike.

Edmonton public libraries will close their doors Thursday as employees are set to walk off the job, alongside 911 and 311 operators. The union covers many staff in administrative positions.

Edmonton police alerting the public that certain services will be suspended or scaled back for the duration of the strike.

READ MORE: Edmonton city worker strike: emergency services unaffected, some service changes, EPS says

But with job action comes picket lines. Something different in this strike than the last by city employees 48 years ago in 1976, the idea of ‘digital picket lines.’ A former Edmonton librarian explained what that means.

“You do have the option of accessing EPL throughout time and space. You can request books at 3 a.m. in your PJs, while the workers are striking physically. It would be best not to do that,” explained Sheila Laroque, a former EPL librarian.