The complaint by CUPE Local 15, which will be filed tomorrow, alleges that the city has been breaking the law by padding its roster of excluded management employees.
CUPE Local 15 President Rick Gates says the city should be concentrating more on getting back to the negotiating table to reach a collective agreement with its workers and less on coming up with measures that will only extend the strike.
Clearly, Mayor Owen and the NPA Council no longer see this as a labour relations dispute theyre treating it like a political campaign. Instead of continuing to attack and undermine their own workers, they should be putting their energy into finding a fair resolution that meets everyones needs.
Gates pointed out that the number of exempt staff in the city grew dramatically in the months leading up to the strike.
The city created much of this problem for themselves. When City Council revoked the compressed work week, there was a well-documented exodus of management staff. In replacing these staff members, the city clearly seized upon the opportunity to recruit a much larger contingent of replacement workers to do the work of CUPE Local 15 members.
We hope the city will stop playing these games, and will work with us to resolve this strike at the bargaining table.
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For more information:
Rick Gates, 708-8903 or 723-9661
Jim Kirk, 291-1940 or 720-7905