The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) filed a certification application yesterday with a view to representing all office workers, technicians and insurance agents employed by La Capitale throughout Quebec.

CUPE already represents nearly 700 employees at the head office of the company, which specializes in insurance and finance. The filing means that more than 300 new members will be joining CUPE Local 2310.

Employees across the province have on numerous occasions expressed the need for a strong union,” stated CUPE representative Mathieu Dumont. “Our organization simply followed through on the wishes clearly expressed by our new members.

Local 2310 welcomes all our new members, and we can assure them that we will devote the same effort to protecting and improving their working conditions as we did to seeking to file this certification application,” added CUPE 2310 president Marie-Lou Leclerc.

Over the coming months, members will be consulted with regard to modernizing the structure of the Quebec-wide local chapter as well as negotiating a new collective agreement between CUPE and La Capitale.

With more than 110,000 members, CUPE-Quebec represents approximately 3,900 workers in the mixed sector in Quebec (longshoremen, insurance company and syndicate employees, social and community groups, and armoured car services). CUPE is also active in a broad range of sectors, including health and social services, communications, education, universities, energy, municipalities, Quebec government corporations and public agencies, air transportation and public transit.