MEDIA ADVISORY
OTTAWA A strike affecting schools in Eastern Ontario, including the communities of Ottawa-Carleton, Kingston, Pembroke, Petawawa, Trenton, Carleton Place and Merrickville and surrounding areas, is set for November 15th, 2000, after members voted 90% in favour of strike action this weekend. An information picket will be held Tuesday, October 24th, at the Conseil des c006fles catholiques de langue frana0069se du Centre-Est, 4000, Labelle Street in Ottawa, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
We were unable to achieve a negotiated settlement with an employer determined to contract out all cleaning and maintenance services, says Guy Lanctt002c0020Chair of the Negotiating Committee of Local 4297 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 105 custodial and maintenance staff at the French-Catholic School Board of Central-Eastern Ontario.
Parents need to know that this Board is contracting out our jobs, threatening the quality of service while lining the pockets of private sector owners of a Quebec company Services Mn0061gers Roy, adds Lanctt002e0020Ten (10) schools, the Board office and other buildings are now being cleaned by the private company, with high turnover rates and complaints from parents about cleanliness in the schools.
CUPE Local 4297 is seeking a modest wage increase and job security provisions to stop the privatization and contracting out of cleaning services.
We care about the services we provide and the last thing we want is to go on strike, says Lanctt002e0020If we care about the future of our services and the quality of the school environment for our children, we must take a stand now to prevent further privatization and win back the ten (10) schools and other buildings we already lost to the private sector. The profit motive has no place in our school system.
(Attention Assignment/Photo Editors: CUPE Local 4297 will hold an information picket tomorrow, Tuesday, October 24th, at 5:30 p.m. at the Boards head office, 4000 Labelle Street, Ottawa)
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For further information, please contact:
Guy Lanctt002c0020Chair of the Negotiating Committee
CUPE Local 4297
(613) 253-2429
Joanne Harvey, CUPE National Rep.
(613) 237-0115
Robert Lamoureux,
CUPE Communications
(416) 292-3999