A strike by 82 inside and outside workers at the Greater Sudbury Hydro Plus Inc. electric began at 12:01 am on Saturday, June 19, after management refused to back away from concessions.
CUPE 4705 members are fighting a proposal to grandfather retiree benefits, denying them to new workers at the utility, as well as job security concessions in the areas of technological change and contracting out.
We wont let them play divide and conquer by creating a two-tier workforce, says local president Wyman MacKinnon. Management is in for a long fight unless they come back to the table without concessions.
The monetary package is also outstanding. No further talks are scheduled.
With support from CUPE National, the local is mounting a public awareness campaign and calling on residents to call their municipal councillors and the mayor, to build pressure for a settlement. The utilitys board is appointed by municipal council.