-

CUPE: Liberals Must Respect Free and Fair Bargaining at Port of Montreal

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Canada’s largest union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), is slamming the federal government’s decision to introduce back-to-work legislation to end labour action at the Port of Montreal by CUPE Local 375.

Members of Local 375, which represents 1,100 longshoremen at the port, voted 99 per cent in favour of strike action two weeks ago, after their employer, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA), announced that job security provisions in their collective agreement would no longer be honoured. More recently, the MEA imposed scheduling changes including an additional 100 minutes per shift. The union offered to withdraw their strike notice if the MEA agreed to end their pressure tactics – but the MEA refused.

On Sunday night, Labour Minister Filomena Tassi announced the government would introduce back-to-work legislation to end Local 375’s strike action before it had even fully begun.

“Once again the Trudeau Liberals are acting like Conservatives, siding with bosses against workers by meddling in the bargaining process,” said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. “There can never be free, fair collective bargaining in Canada under the threat of back-to-work legislation.”

CUPE is demanding the Liberals withhold their back-to-work legislation, which would infringe upon workers’ rights to free and fair bargaining. These types of bills have been repeatedly found to be unconstitutional by the courts.

“Employers have no incentive to bargain in good faith when they know the government will come to their rescue,” said CUPE National Secretary-Treasurer Charles Fleury. “This is disgraceful conduct from a government that pretends to be a friend to working people.”

Members of CUPE Local 375 have been without a contract since 2018.

Contacts

Hugh Pouliot
Media relations, CUPE
613-818-0067
hpouliot@cupe.ca

Industry:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Release Versions
EnglishFrench

Contacts

Hugh Pouliot
Media relations, CUPE
613-818-0067
hpouliot@cupe.ca

More News From Canadian Union of Public Employees

CUPE 2316 - Workers at CAS Toronto vote to strike, could be off the job within weeks as union files no board report

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Local 2316-representing approximately 500 workers at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto- has filed a ‘No Board’ report, triggering the countdown to be in a legal strike position as early as February 13 while frontline and support workers continue to warn that chronic understaffing and years of government underfunding are putting children and families at risk. The move comes after workers delivered a strong strike mandate, with 82 per cent of members voting and...

Chéticamp Long Term Care Workers Vote to Strike

CHÉTICAMP, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Workers from Foyer Père Fiset Long Term Care Home, represented by CUPE 2031, voted 93% in favour of a strike mandate, calling for improved wages and recruitment and retention. “Lowest in Atlantic Canada. Those words alone should be enough to motivate the government to meet us at the bargaining table with a fair offer. Our government should want us, should want Nova Scotians, to be leading the way not lagging behind,” said CUPE 2031 President Trevor Poirier. “The...

“We haven’t seen this level of slashing since the Harris years:” new report warns of longer wait-times and declining quality of care as funding cuts squeeze Ontario hospitals

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new report warns that the turn to health care cutbacks in Ontario harken to the period of Mike Harris, as hundreds of job cuts ravage hospitals across the province, prolonging wait-times and delaying patient care. The government recently directed hospitals to plan for two per cent annual funding increases until 2027-28, far less than the six per cent average in recent years. The Ford government’s funding plan will lead to more than 10,000 job losses and reduction of...
Back to Newsroom