Around 5,000 city workers in Edmonton are preparing to walk off the job Thursday weeks after negotiations with the city reached an impasse.
In a statement Monday, Civic Service Union (CSU) 52 said it will serve a strike notice to the City of Edmonton and to the Edmonton Public Library at 11 am. today.
Picket lines will form Thursday morning, after the 72-hour notice period expires, the union said.
The union represents about 5,000 people who work throughout the City of Edmonton, along with about 950 library staff, who are covered by a separate collective agreement.
Union members at city hall include technical, professional, administrative and clerical workers such 911 operators, 311 dispatchers, project managers, accountants and clerks.
City officials have yet to comment on Monday's development. Administration had previously applied for a lockout vote that would allow the city to trigger a lockout during a strike, to minimize disruption to city services.
Bargaining between the union and the city reached a stalemate last month and since then, talks have stalled.
In Monday's statement, the union said no progress has been made as the city has not returned to the negotiating table.
Lanny Chudyk, president of CSU 52, said about 6,000 members in total are prepared to walk off the job Thursday.