Highlands East, ON – The union representing the Municipality of Highlands East civic employees, members of CUPE 4416, has filed for conciliation after a disappointing round of negotiations.
“This is a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows each other and the fact that the employer is unwilling to bargain will affect many taxpayers of this municipality, who are also members of CUPE 4416,” says Ken Riley, president of CUPE 4416.
After the municipality dismissed all union proposals and failed to provide counterproposals, CUPE 4416 was left with no choice but to file for conciliation. The Chief Administrative Officer provided no rationale for the failure to negotiate stating only that Council had said no to all union proposals.
“The County of Peterborough, a slightly larger, but comparable municipality in the area, recently bargained improvements to wages, benefits and other working conditions for its CUPE employees. We want to send a strong message to the municipality that we deserve to have a decent settlement for the hard-working CUPE members in this municipality,” says Alison Davidson, CUPE National Representative.
While the employer has not provided the union with any financial information supporting their position, recent data showed that the municipality’s accumulated surplus has risen over the last few years, indicating there is money available.
“It’s time the Municipality of Highlands East treat its workers with respect and fairness and give them the settlement they deserve,” Davidson concluded.
CUPE 4416 represents 24 employees providing public services to the municipality as road operators, arena attendants, labourers, clerks, and by-law enforcement officers, to name a few.
For more information, please contact:
Ken Riley
President, CUPE 4416
705-448-2864
Alison Davidson
CUPE National Representative
705-760-5113
Marjorie Savoie
CUPE Communications
613-864-9924