Campbellton has locked out 36 unionized workers at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, after last-minute mediation couldn’t bring the two sides together.

The city and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 76 could not hammer out an agreement after months of negotiations, including the use of a mediator last week.

The main sticking points in the contract talks revolve around wage increases and other benefits.

Deputy Mayor Ian Comeau confirmed the lockout started at 8 a.m. and said negotiations will continue in an effort to get the unionized workers back on the job quickly.

The outside workers include staff from the public works department, bylaw enforcement officers and police clerks.

The city’s firefighters were deemed an essential service and have not been locked out.

George Parker, the president of CUPE Local 76, said it is difficult to predict how long the lockout will last.

“We are certainly very unhappy about it. It has been a rough negotiation,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that we have come to this point in time.“

The union is going to be visible during the lockout. Parker said the pickets will be peaceful but union intends to explain to city residents the impact the lockout will have on public services.

"We are going to definitely interfere with everyday life to make the public aware of where we are at and what the cause is," he said.

Another issue is job security. Comeau said the union wants a guarantee that all 43 union jobs will be secure, something he said is impossible to guarantee.

Contracting out snow removal services

The city has already taken the step to contract out its snow removal services because of the contract dispute.

Snow removal has traditionally been done by city staff. But Campbellton divided up the city in seven sections and put snow removal contracts out to tender earlier this year.

The contracts have been awarded for one to three years.

Parker said the contracting out of snow removal services is a big deal for his members.

“Snowplowing has always been done by our municipal workers, we have never missed a beat,” he said.

“We are more than willing to go back and resume our plowing jobs.”

The city is offering a two per cent wage increase each year over the next seven years. The union has requested 18.5 per cent over the same period.

The city has warned that property taxes will need to be increased in the northern town unless a deal is struck.