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This article was published 29/06/2017 (2166 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A council committee has endorsed a series of short-term contracts for a variety of Winnipeg waste and recycling collection services with the goal of one day having civic staff do the work.

The environment committee gave its nod Thursday for three, one-year contracts to private firms for the collection of bulky waste across the city, recyclables from multi-family dwellings, and garbage collection from apartments and small businesses in the east area of the city.

Coun. Brian Mayes, chairman of the environment committee, said the city has been in discussions with CUPE 500 to use civic staff to collect bulky waste (mattresses, dressers and other large furniture) and there are plans to talk to the union for the collection of the other matters.

“We’ve said we’re bringing the bulky (waste) in house,” said Mayes (St. Vital). “We are continuing to talk to CUPE and looking at the numbers.”

The contracts still need to be approved by council.

Mayes said negotiations with CUPE 500 for multi-family recyclable collection and east-end garbage collection will begin once both parties ratify the tentative collective agreement.

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While city hall has long taken the position it can save money by contracting out the collection of garbage and recyclables, the City of Ottawa and others are finding savings by doing that work with their own staff, Mayes said.

“It’s something I championed last year. Let’s at least talk to (the union). It could be viable,” he said.

Mayes said city hall is committed to resuming the collection of bulky waste using civic staff, but noted the one-year contract to a private firm, with options for renewals, has been done to allow the administration to properly prepare for handling the work internally.

The administrative reports on the other two contracts specifically cited upcoming discussions with CUPE as the reason for the short-term nature of those contracts.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca