In a letter sent directly to members, the Chief Administrative Officer of Black River-Matheson, Chris Wray, wrote that “the Township will now accept for re-employment any Staff member who is prepared to agree to the following terms”. This new contract now makes numerous key protections in the previous collective agreement null and void.
This comes on the heels of a forced vote, which the members of CUPE Local 1490 overwhelmingly rejected. The deal contained less in wages for new hires than previous offers that have been rejected and will only make recruitment and retention an issue.
Wray’s actions are part of a pattern of attacking wages, especially those of the next generation of workers, and of ham-fisted tactics. It’s time to name his actions specifically and demand that the Township reject his approach to these hard-working municipal workers.
