Montra006c, February 7, 2002 – During a meeting of the Sainte-Catherine Town Council, municipal officials approved the Executive Director’s decision to indefinitely suspend Francine Brossard, an employee with 23 years of loyal service. Mrs. Brossard is a member of CUPE Local 2777, which intends to contest this suspension.
The Town claims that Mrs. Brossard showed bad faith by refusing to provide certain details concerning medical treatment she is currently receiving of her own free will and outside her hours of work. “On the contrary, the Town is showing bad faith by demanding details of this employee’s treatment”, stated the local’s president, Diane Pilon. “The demands are excessive and could even be considered a violation of the health practitioner’s professional secrecy. The next thing we know, the Town will be requiring video recordings of our medical consultations!”
“The Union has made repeated efforts to resolve this matter to the satisfaction of all the interested parties. We had even come to an agreement, when the employer decided to institute new demands that the employee had every right to refuse. Does the employer want to take revenge because Mrs. Brossard submitted a grievance for harassment against the Director of Human Resources?” wondered union representative, Fernand Clr0069cy, which expressed his disappointment in the employer’s relentless attitude.
Twenty members of the union, inside and outside workers, attended the Municipal Council meeting on Tuesday, February 5. They came to support Mrs. Brossard and to let the municipal officials know that they did not agree with the Town’s actions in regard to their fellow employee.
At the end of the meeting, the employees all ironically applauded the members of the Council for the respect they show the employees: “23 years of faithful service to the Town destroyed in 5 short minutes!”
CUPE represents approximately 70% of all municipal workers in Qub0065c. In addition to the municipal sector, CUPE is active in 10 other sectors of activity in the province including health and social services, education, urban and air transport, hydroelectricity, communications, government corporations and public agencies in Qub0065c. With close to 100,000 members in Qub0065c, it is the largest QFL affiliated union.
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SOURCE: CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES (QFL)