Montra006c, Thursday, November 13, 2003 Montra006cs blue collar workers were not surprised to see a journalist overtly walk into a water treatment plant on the TQS airwaves. It may seem strange to the general public, but we are very aware of the security problems surrounding these infrastructures, vital to the population of Montra006c, declared Michel Parent, president of the reorganized Montra006c blue collar workers (CUPE 301).
Since September 11, 2001, measures to prevent terrorist acts to ensure the citizens security should be a primary concern for the public authorities. However, the City of Montra006c does not seem to worry about access to the water treatment plant. For example, the Union points out that the City has given the keys and access codes to certain sub-contractors without any supervision. Over the past two years, the reorganized blue collar workers in Montra006c have pointed out this problem to the municipal authorities and have even taken a number of actions to resolve the situation. We hope that the City will not wait for another catastrophe - like the one involving sub-contractors in Walkerton - before it reacts. We certainly have given them sufficient warning, concluded Michel Parent.
CUPE represents some 70% of all municipal employees in Qub0065c. In addition to the municipalities, CUPE is active in 10 other sectors of activity in Qub0065c including health and social services, education, urban and air transportation, hydroelectricity, provincial corporations and public organizations and communications. With close to 100,000 members in Qub0065c, it is the largest FTQ affiliate.
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SOURCE: CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES (FTQ)