OTTAWA, Ont. – Local 2626-02 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing lifeguards at the University of Ottawa, are entering a final stretch of conciliation and hoping to resolve some major remaining issues in order to avoid a possible strike.
They have been bargaining with the University representatives since last November but progress has been very slow.
Alistair Gillespie, chair of local 2626-02, hopes that the two remaining conciliation meetings will allow him and his colleagues to sign their first collective agreement. “The way some of our members have been treated in the past has led us to unionize,” said Gillespie. “We now hope this round of bargaining will help us end some unfair practices and give us fair working conditions and better job security.”
Before the two parties can come to an agreement, some important issues also remain to be addressed. “Wages will probably be a major part of future discussions, and we hope the University will recognize that we deserve parity with the lifeguards employed by the City of Ottawa.”
Discussions between the parties are scheduled to resume on Thursday, March 26th.
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For information:
Alistair Gillespie, chair of CUPE local 2626-02: 613-282-7107
Paul Boileau, CUPE representative: 613-226-1031
Luc Tittley, CUPE communications: 416-910-2389