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Montra006c, Thursday, May 30, 2002 – As of midnight tonight, the employees of the Socit du parc des les will be on strike. These workers, members of CUPE local 301, are taking this step to force their employer to get down to serious bargaining.

On May 21, the union members voted unanimously in favour of a general strike to commence on May 31 if bargaining had not advanced at a reasonable pace. Since then, no real progress has been made and the employer has asked for a conciliator. The conciliation process is expected to begin next week.

The management of Parc des l0065s has shown bad faith. The strike is our only means to get out of this impasse,” said Michel Fontaine, union representative and CUPE negotiator for local 301. “Our members are determined to improve their wages and working conditions. Most of these workers earn little more than minimum salary. It is time that the City of Montra006c, which is the largest contributor to the SP, take its responsibilities seriously and make the managers of the Socit listen to reason,” he added.

Socit du parc des les is a para-municipal organization of the City of Montra006c, responsible for the management and development of parc Jean-Drapeau. It is also involved in the management and maintenance of several sites including the beach, the jardin des Floralies, the thtre des Lilas, the Olympic basin, bicycle and rollerblade trails and the pools on le Sainte-Hlne. The Socit employs some 100 workers, several of whom are seasonal.

CUPE represents close to 70% of all municipal employees in Qub0065c. In addition to the municipal sector, CUPE is active in 10 other sectors of activity in Qub0065c, including health and social services, education, urban and air transport, hydroelectricity, government corporations and public organizations in Qub0065c and communications. With close to 100,000 members in Qub0065c, it is the largest QFL affiliate.

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SOURCE : CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES