Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - After a year of bargaining, faced with the lack of goodwill and availability on the part of the employer’s negotiators, the outside and inside workers for the Municipality of Notre-Dame-des Prairies, members of Local 4303 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE-QFL), voted a massive 99% in favour of implementing pressure tactics which could go as far as a general indefinite strike.
“We were extremely flexible in negotiating a first collective agreement but, after four bargaining meetings and five conciliation sessions with a conciliator from the Ministry of Labour, the employer has still not responded to our last settlement proposal. We have the clear impression that the lawyer hired by the Municipality wants to draw things out as long as possible with a view to increasing his fees. Municipal elected officials must end this diversion and put a limit on these expenditures,” said CUPE representative Serge Champagne.
“Elected officials must come to grips with the situation because they are the ones who will be called on to account to the population. For example, the Labour Commissioner ruled that the recreation technician is a member of the union, but the lawyer hired by the City decided to challenge this decision before the courts, purely and simply a waste of the public funds,” added Mr. Champagne.
The Municipal employees for Notre-Dame-des-Prairies have been accredited since November 1999 and the principal points in the dispute involve salaries and work schedules.
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SOURCE: CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES (QFL)
Information: Serge Champagne, (514) 942-3177