Springhill – The union for the Town of Springhill municipal workers is seeking legal status at an upcoming meeting about possible dissolution of the town.
CUPE National Representative Betty Jean Sutherland says, “On behalf of Local 919, our lawyer has written the Utilities and Review Board asking for standing at the June 18 meeting, which is known as a ‘hearing for a preliminary order’.
“We understand that on June 18, the Board will not hear evidence or argument on the merits of the application. The merits of the application will be considered at the public hearing, the date of which will be advertised once in the newspaper and tentatively scheduled for the fall,” says Sutherland.
Local 919 also wishes to have formal standing to call witnesses or to cross-examine witnesses at the public hearing. Says Sutherland, “CUPE Local 919, on behalf of its members, has a real and substantial interest in this application.”
Local 919 and its members have a rich history in the Town of Springhill. The union was certified in 1965. As new classifications arose over the years, they were added to the bargaining unit and the collective agreement.
Says Sutherland, “This history of collective bargaining has included a number of key components of value not only to the members of Local 919, but also to the Town and its citizens. This value and ongoing contribution to the community should not be lost, and that’s what we will be telling the UARB when it meets.”