Inside workers for the Town of Saguenay attended a general meeting last night to reiterate their support for the bargaining committee. More than ever, the members are mobilized and will be resorting to pressure tactics to bring the employer to its senses. Going forward, the members will be following their collective agreement to a T and will refuse all requests to work overtime, unless the situation is deemed essential.
“What an insult to say that we’re an expense that has to be cut back. What is a town that doesn’t provide services to its population? Members of CUPE 2466 are almost all citizens of the Town of Saguenay, and they deplore the fact that it’s allowing a labour conflict fester. Tension is ramping up and so too are the pressure tactics,” said Stéphanie Cloutier, president of CUPE 2466.
The Town is demanding major rollbacks from its employees’ working conditions. Some of the demands even zero in on clauses that have been in the collective agreement for more than 20 years. Some employees are already forced to work two jobs to support their families. Scaling back working conditions is a terrible affront, and the mayor is refusing to pull out all stops to resolve this very difficult situation.
“We sent her a letter last Thursday and still have not received a reply. In addition, their representatives at the table are continually saying that they’re working with the mandate of the previous administration. But why isn’t Julie Dufour not able to get on with her own mandate?” asked Claire Simard, CUPE representative.
The union has had a strike mandate in hand since June 2021.