About 300 members of CUPE 4881, representing City of Gatineau aquatic sector workers, learned on January 5 that their retroactive payments had not been made, as is called for in their collective agreement. This news was met with great disappointment and frustration.

Their new collective agreement, which was signed by both parties on October 5, 2022, stipulated that the retroactive pay would be delivered within 90 days of the signing date.

“This is an extremely disappointing situation. In the past three months, the union executive followed up with the employer, at which point the city stated it would be able to make the retroactive payments as per the agreement. In our view, it is unthinkable that a city as large as Gatineau would stretch out the negotiated deadline and delay these payments owed to their employees,” says Angélica Martinez, President of CUPE 4881.

Because of the delay, the union is obligated to file a grievance against the City of Gatineau and take other steps to ensure that the retroactive payments are made as soon as possible.