Agreement in Principle for Library Employees in Baie-Comeau

– An agreement in principle was signed between the City of Baie-Comeau and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE-QFL), representing the employees at the Alice Lane Library. The two parties must still ratify the agreement. But, right now, we know that both parties will recommend acceptance. If the agreement is accepted, it will be the first collective agreement for the employees of the municipal library.

The nine employees, all women, obtained certification for their CUPE-QFL union in March 2004, and they were still waiting for their first contract.

The agreement in principle that the employees will be asked to ratify provides an hourly wage of $11.23 in 2005 and retroactive payments going back to March 2004. Many working conditions will be improved, for example, job security, vacation time, holidays, overtime work, grievance procedures, a minimum of 26 hours per week of work, etc.

CUPE represents about 70% of all municipal employees in Quebec. In addition to the municipal sector, CUPE is present in 10 other sectors of activity in Quebec, among them health and social services, education, urban transit, air transport, hydroelectricity, Quebec state enterprises and public agencies, and communications. With almost 100,000 members in Quebec, it is the largest trade union affiliate in the QFL.

SOURCE: THE CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES