MISSISSIPPI MILLS – The union representing 20 municipal workers with the Town of Mississippi Mills will be in a legal strike position at 12:01 a.m., Monday, October 21st after management applied for conciliation and forced a countdown towards a legal strike or lockout.
“We are trying to negotiate a collective agreement here,” says Trevor Robertson, president of Local 4277 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). “But the Town’s negotiators applied for the “no-board” report from the Ontario ministry of labour to start the countdown towards a strike – it looks like they’re backing us into a corner.”
The “no-board” report means that no Board of conciliation will be convened by the ministry of Labour, and that starts the countdown to a legal strike or lockout 17 days after the “no-board” report is issued.
“It’s unusual for the employer to call for the no-board report, especially since we were making some progress in negotiations – they may force a strike that would hurt this community,” says Robertson.
Members of CUPE Local 4277 provide services like road maintenance, water distribution, parks and recreation (including ice rinks), waste disposal, day care and other vital services to the community.
“We will be doing everything to reach a negotiated settlement,” says Robertson. “But we’ve had many difficulties following amalgamation in trying to harmonize benefits and wages – many members have been cutback and we want everyone to have a fair deal. We are prepared to fight for that if the Town pushes us into a corner.”
“We’re calling on the people of our great community to contact local politicians and tell them how important it is to offer a fair deal and prevent a strike,” says Robertson. “We’ll do our best at the bargaining table but there has to be good will on the employer’s side as well.”
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For further information, please contact:
Trevor Robertson, President CUPE Local 4277
613-256-5628
Andy Mele, CUPE National Rep.
613-237-0115 - 613-223-9299
Robert Lamoureux, CUPE Communications Rep.
416-292-3999
“We are trying to negotiate a collective agreement here,” says Trevor Robertson, president of Local 4277 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). “But the Town’s negotiators applied for the “no-board” report from the Ontario ministry of labour to start the countdown towards a strike – it looks like they’re backing us into a corner.”
The “no-board” report means that no Board of conciliation will be convened by the ministry of Labour, and that starts the countdown to a legal strike or lockout 17 days after the “no-board” report is issued.
“It’s unusual for the employer to call for the no-board report, especially since we were making some progress in negotiations – they may force a strike that would hurt this community,” says Robertson.
Members of CUPE Local 4277 provide services like road maintenance, water distribution, parks and recreation (including ice rinks), waste disposal, day care and other vital services to the community.
“We will be doing everything to reach a negotiated settlement,” says Robertson. “But we’ve had many difficulties following amalgamation in trying to harmonize benefits and wages – many members have been cutback and we want everyone to have a fair deal. We are prepared to fight for that if the Town pushes us into a corner.”
“We’re calling on the people of our great community to contact local politicians and tell them how important it is to offer a fair deal and prevent a strike,” says Robertson. “We’ll do our best at the bargaining table but there has to be good will on the employer’s side as well.”
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Trevor Robertson, President CUPE Local 4277
613-256-5628
Andy Mele, CUPE National Rep.
613-237-0115 - 613-223-9299
Robert Lamoureux, CUPE Communications Rep.
416-292-3999