CHESLEY, ONT. Arran-Elderslie Mayor John Alpaugh is prolonging a strike by municipal workers and risking taxpayers money by using himself and his family members to staff the local landfill, says CUPE Local 255.
The landfill is open today because the mayor sent his daughter to do the job of our members, said CUPE National Representative Jim Keenan. The site is usually open on Thursdays and Saturdays. Since the strike by 30 municipal employees started almost three weeks ago, Alpaugh has been staffing the landfill himself.
You dont achieve labour peace by breaking a strike, Keenan said. We have to wonder if the mayor and his family members are being paid to do this work. Even more, were concerned about the liability that could face Arran-Elderslie taxpayers when this work is done by replacement workers who may not be covered for injury or accident.
An end to the strike will only be achieved when the employer returns to the bargaining table and negotiates a contract that both sides can agree is fair and reasonable, Keenan said. Alternatively, if the employer agrees to binding arbitration, this strike would be resolved today.
The mayor should be putting his energy into finding a solution and not into trying to make taxpayers believe its business as usual by using strikebreakers, he said. Its not business as usual. Our members are off work and taxpayers money is being frittered away on lawyers and strikebreakers hired to keep them off work.
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For more information, contact:
Jim Keenan, CUPE National Representative – 705-722-7387
Pat Daley, CUPE Communications – 416-616-6142 (cell)