Whitehorse residents may have to look at alternative ways to deal with their transportation needs, waste collection, after-school child care, recreation options and more.

The union representing about 300 workers from most city departments served strike notice today for 8 a.m. Monday.

The transit union of about 30 workers has also indicated it may ramp up its job action from the current work-to-rule campaign to a full strike.

City firefighters will continue to be on the job, as they are represented by a different union.

Both unions that may take action Monday say negotiations set for Saturday and Sunday will go ahead.

“We’re very hopeful we can get to a deal,” Steve Geick, the president of the Yukon Employees Union (YEU), said in an interview this morning.

Despite serving strike notice, Geick emphasized: “That’s not saying we’re doing this.”

Rather, he said, the notice is in place, and transit has indicated it may ramp up actions only if there’s no movement by the city.

The larger union opted to officially serve the strike notice Thursday afternoon after a strategy call with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (of which YEU is a component) in Ottawa and in consultation with its membership. It was felt, Geick said, that there just wasn’t the trust with the city.

Geick said the city will be in a position Monday morning to lock out non-essential employees but has not given any indication it is prepared to do that.

If progress is made through the weekend negotiations, Geick said there may be no need to take strike action.

However, serving strike notice enables the union to take action Monday if there is no movement forward.

At the same time city and union negotiating teams are meeting with a mediator to hammer out a possible deal, union members will be in training on issues like how emergency services or preventative emergency services will be handled during a strike as well as other strike procedures and the like.

A Maintenance of Activities agreement is now in place to deal with essential services in the event of job action.

It ensures any emergency work or work that would be done to prevent emergency situations would continue.

That would include things like road-clearing for emergency vehicles, equipment repair, and dealing with reports of dangerous animals that are roaming in the city.

Recreation services, including the operation of facilities and programs through the Canada Games Centre, Takhini Arena and the like, such the 3 O’Clock Craze after-school care program and day camps during school professional development days, are not deemed essential.

Neither is garbage and compost pickup, though the landfill is operated by a contractor and is anticipated to remain open during a strike for residents to bring their waste to.

Transit is not deemed essential either, so that union was able to begin its job action March 19.

The work-to-rule campaign has resulted in several delays or cancelled buses many days since then.

In light of the situation, those with monthly bus passes have been able to return their passes to the city and receive a coupon toward a future pass.

Riders weathered a full-scale transit strike that began in late 2000 and ended four months later, in early 2001.

As for whether any such offerings will be made to members of the Canada Games Centre or those who have paid for recreation programs that may be impacted, city spokesman Myles Dolphin said today officials are currently finalizing details.

Asked about the Yukon Invitational Swim Meet that’s scheduled for April 20- 21, Dolphin said “it would certainly be put in jeopardy” if there is a strike.

As of now, the meet is scheduled to go ahead with the pool already set to be closed to the public both days of the meet.

Any change would likely be announced closer to April 20, Dolphin said. The city will continue to use its website and social media pages to update the public on such situations.

The current agreements with the two unions ended Aug. 31, 2017.

The last round of mediation for a new deal happened in March, with no agreement reached.

The union has argued it’s fighting to maintain long-service and severance benefits for future employees.

The city has stated it wants to find a solution that balances the interests of employees with those of its citizens.

Mayor Dan Curtis told the Star this morning that while the city’s team is handling the work of negotiating, he remains hopeful a deal can be reached.