Tag Archives: bonfield municipal workers

Bonfield workers get strong show of support

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By GORD YOUNG, The Nugget

Thursday, September 12, 2013 7:13:11 EDT PM

1297466215765_ORIGINAL             Paul Moist, CUPE National President representing 627,000 CUPE members in support of Bonfield Civic members locked out by municipality over a month ago.

BONFIELD – The 627,000 members-strong Canadian Union of Public Employees is digging in its heels following the firing of five striking municipal workers here this week.

The 16 picketing employees were buoyed Thursday by a strong show of solidarity from their national and provincial presidents and other unions and labour groups during a rally outside the municipal office, where they were promised the support needed to outlast the will of the town’s mayor and council.

“I don’t know how long this dispute will go on . . . but we will last one day longer than you to get a collective agreement,” said CUPE national president Paul Moist, his comments directed at Mayor Randy McLaren.

Moist, who was joined at the rally by CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn and Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan, described the dismissal of five striking workers over allegations of illegal confinement as an “outrageous” tactic.

And he vowed that CUPE would not settle a collective agreement that does not include the reinstatement of those employees.

The forcible confinement allegations stem from strife between the two sides Aug. 15 outside the parish hall where a special meeting of council was scheduled to take place.

The meeting was cancelled due to protesting picketers and residents upset about the timing and notice of the gathering. And the town claims two councillors and others were prevented from leaving the building for about an hour because the exits were being blocked while the mayor was held up outside. Ontario Provincial Police is investigating, but no charges have been laid. The union has also filed an unfair labour practice complaint regarding the matter.

Both Hahn and Ryan lashed out at McLaren, accusing the mayor of using the dismissals to scare the workers and unnerve the union. But they suggested the move has had the opposite effect, and has served only to strengthen their resolve.

“Someone has decided they’re going to make an example of this round of bargaining,” said Hahn, suggesting the town is upping its tactics and warning that CUPE will follow suit.

He told the striking workers that they’re not alone on the picket line and that CUPE members and those in other unions across Canada are behind them.

In addition, Henri Giroux, president of the North Bay and District CUPE Council, told the workers they can expect more members to support them on the picket line and that

other locals and unions will be asked for donations to help beef up their war chest.

The strike, which rolled into its sixth week Thursday, affects services such as road maintenance, tax payments, building permits, inspections, planning services and general inquiries.

CUPE says key issues are the threat of contracting out and a list of concessions demanded from the municipality including attacks on seniority, training, employment security, scheduling, vacations, sick leave and benefits.

“My message to the mayor is to get back to the bargaining table,” said Ryan, suggesting McLaren is mistaken if he believes he can starve out workers on the picket line or scare them with extreme tactics.

Moist said the union has no intentions of accepting the concessions being sought by the mayor and council. But he suggested the labour dispute could be resolved within hours if a status quo collective agreement, including a fair wage increase, were on the table.

McLaren, however, said the status quo is no longer workable and that the proposal tabled by the town is aimed a changing how it functions. He said Bonfield’s workforce has doubled over the past 15 years and that there still aren’t enough employees to go around due to the entitlements such as sick leave and vacations they receive under the existing collective agreement. He said CUPE argues the town should hire more workers but McLaren said that’s not feasible for a small municipality like Bonfield.

McLaren said he is still hopeful that the union will be forwarding a proposal this week. But he was disappointed to hear that CUPE wants to make the dismissal of the five workers part of the overall bargaining, suggesting the town sees it as a separate issue. McLaren said the town does not want to contract out work. But if the union is digging in for long dispute, he said the town will also have to soon start considering issues such as winter road maintenance.

CUPE National and Ontario leaders lead solidarity rally for striking Bonfield workers on Thursday

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BONFIELD, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Sept. 11, 2013) – Paul Moist, National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), along with CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn and Sid Ryan, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), will lead a solidarity rally for the striking Bonfield municipal workers on Thursday, September 12, at noon (12:00 p.m.). Henri Giroux, President of the North Bay and District CUPE Council will also attend the rally.

“On Tuesday the Mayor of Bonfield fired five workers without true cause,” said Steve Boyle, CUPE national representative for CUPE 4616-2. “Firing workers in the middle of a strike is not a tactic that will end the strike that is hurting the Bonfield community – sooner or later the Mayor will have to sit down and negotiate with us to end this strike.”

“Our leaders and supporters will be here on Thursday to show solidarity and stand with our members for fairness as they fight for a fair contract,” continued Boyle. On strike since August 1, the 16 workers were forced into a defensive strike to fight off concessions, including the threat of contracting-out services.

Five Bonfield workers fired

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By JENNIFER HAMILTON-MCCHARLES, The Nugget

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Bonfield Mayor Randy McLaren speaks to a CUPE member Thursday at the parish hall where a special meeting of council had been scheduled. The meeting was cancelled after protests by union members and supporters.

Bonfield Mayor Randy McLaren speaks to a CUPE member Thursday at the parish hall where a special meeting of council had been scheduled. The meeting was cancelled after protests by union members and supporters.

BONFIELD—The Township of Bonfield has fired five of its municipal workers today for allegations of illegal confinement.

Bonfield Mayor Randy McLaren was tight-lipped about the punishments handed down Tuesday following an altercation between striking staff and council in August.

“There has been discipline action for five of the municipal workers for allegations of forcible confinement.”

He confirmed disciplinary letters were sent to appropriate staff Tuesday, but refused to say what the punishments were. When asked if any municipal workers were fired, McLaren said, “I’ll let the union speak to that.”

Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing the 16 striking municipal workers, issued a media release later Tuesday afternoon stating the provocative tactic was designed to intimidate the workers.

“Instead of a proposal, he will be receiving a labour board complaint for his latest stunt,” said Steve Boyle, a national representative with CUPE.

“While McLaren publicly states that he’s looking to see the union’s proposal to help reach a deal and end this strike, he comes out and fires one-third of the bargaining unit,” he said. “This mayor’s latest volley will not help the strike, in fact it will have the opposite effect.”

McLaren said the township conducted its own investigation and on the advice of their lawyer decided to proceed.

The punishments are a result of an August meeting that was cancelled following a confrontation between striking workers and Bonfield council.

CUPE said the mayor claims the five fired workers were preventing two councillors and others from leaving the Bonfield Parish Hall on Aug.15.

“Prior to the attempted Aug.15 meeting, scheduled to be held at 4 p.m. (when most residents were still at work), the mayor cancelled several meetings and in fact there have been no public meetings since July,” according to a CUPE media release.

The township cancelled its regular council meeting Tuesday evening, according to the township’s website, “due to the municipal employees strike.”

Boyle said the residents had found out about the August meeting and had come to the parish hall to let the mayor know they wanted him to restore public services.

“The residents will be unhappy the mayor is firing workers without true cause. CUPE will support our members fully and will do what it takes to have the workers reinstated,” Boyle said.

Deputy Mayor Tamela Price-Fry reported she was inside the building with her husband, Coun. Jane Lagassie and a person brought in to act as clerk for the meeting and was prevented from leaving for about an hour because the exits were blocked.

She said the incident was reported to police.

Boyle has stood by his members and said he was not aware of any CUPE members blocking the exits.

He said union members were busy speaking to the mayor outside the parish hall and noted that a police officer was on site receiving phone calls and that the gathering dispersed peacefully.

Both sides met on Friday but it wasn’t to reach an agreement. It was to attend the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Boyle said this latest development will also be filed to the labour board.

Municipal workers have been off the job since Aug. 1, affecting services such as road maintenance, tax payments, building permits, inspections, planning services and general inquiries.

CUPE says key issues are the threat of contracting out and a list of concessions demanded from the municipality including attacks on seniority, training, employment security, scheduling, vacations, sick leave and benefits.

The municipality is seeking changes to the existing collective agreement, including reducing the number of bankable sick days to which employees are entitled, increasing the length of service required for additional vacation entitlement and extending the probationary period for new hires.

j.hamilton-mccharles@sunmedia.ca

Bonfield Mayor’s firing of one-third of the strikers

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Sep 10, 2013 04:12 PM          http://cupe.ca

After publicly stating that he’s hopeful a resolution can be worked out to end the six-week Bonfield municipal strike, Mayor Randall McLaren fired five municipal workers today, a provocative tactic designed to intimidate the workers, charges the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing the 16 Bonfield municipal workers. 

“While he publicly states that he’s looking forward to seeing the union’s proposal to help reach a deal and end this strike, he comes out and fires one-third of the bargaining unit,” said Steve Boyle, CUPE National Representative.  “Instead of a proposal, he will be receiving a labour board complaint for his latest stunt.” 

“This Mayor’s latest volley will not help end the strike, in fact it will have the opposite effect,” continued Boyle. “Unfortunately, it is the Bonfield community that will be most affected by the Mayor’s latest tactic as the strike will drag on and residents will be without important public services.” The workers have been on strike since August 1. 

The Mayor claims that the five fired workers were preventing two councillors and others (who were trying to participate in a ‘special’ meeting that the Mayor called in very short notice to prevent the public from participating fully) from leaving the Bonfield Parish Hall on August 15. Prior to the attempted August 15 meeting, scheduled to be held at 4:00 p.m. (when most residents were still at work), the Mayor cancelled several meetings and in fact there have been no public meetings since July.  “The residents had found out about the meeting and had come to the Parish Hall to let the Mayor know they wanted him to restore public services,” said Boyle. “The residents will be unhappy the Mayor is firing workers without true cause. CUPE will support our members fully and will do what it takes to have the workers reinstated.” 

“All along, the Mayor has been trying to break the union and intimidate the workers – that is why our members ended up on strike to defend ourselves,” continued Boyle. “The Mayor’s latest stunt will only prolong the strike.” 

For further information, please contact:

Steve Boyle, CUPE National Representative     705-662-5975

James Chai, CUPE Communications                 905-739-3999 

No talks scheduled in CUPE month-long strike in Bonfield

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Wednesday, August, 28, 2013   http://www.northbaynipissing.com

BonfieldStrike

BONFIELD – Bonfield council and the union appear to be digging in for what could be a drawn out strike with the two sides not sitting down for negotiations since June of this year and at press time no new talks scheduled.

The walkout began on Aug. 1 after the union voted down a final offer from council in July.

Business in the township has ground to a halt since the strike began with all 16 employees – including the clerk, chief building official and public works supervisor – walking off the job. In most municipalities that have unionized these positions are considered management and left outside the bargaining unit.

The lack of any management staff has created challenges for the council, which hasn’t met since the strike began on Aug. 1. The Municipal Act requires they have a designated recording secretary in the form of a clerk or deputy clerk. Council has been able to figure out how to appoint a new person to the deputy clerk position and even attempted to meet on Aug. 15, but union protestors blocked the entrances to the municipal office.

At issue is not wages but conditions in the contract with more than 40 outstanding issues still to be resolved between the two sides. Items identified include everything from council’s ability to contract out work to the winter schedule for the roads crew to when workers get paid.

Mayor Randy McLaren says he is prepared to sit down and talk with the union as soon as he hears they are willing to make concessions.

“If they have something new that they want to talk about they are having a very difficult time expressing it,” said McLaren. “All they want to talk about is getting back to the table generally.”

The union representatives have been applying pressure for council to meet, sending out flyers in the mail and issuing press releases calling for the return to the bargaining table.

Services in the municipality have all but stopped with the exception of garbage disposal which council is providing itself with the assistance of a security company to keep the peace at the landfill site.

All of Bonfield’s bills, including some payroll are on hold. These are mostly employees for boards of council such as the library.

“They have all communicated with us that they will share the pain, if you will, and wait for this to get resolved. If it goes on for longer we do have the ability to pay them or any other bills at the bank,” said McLaren.

On the union side CUPE negotiator Steve Boyle says he is frustrated that there are no new talks scheduled at this point but his membership isn’t prepared to bow to council’s demands.

“The employer wants major concessions, which we don’t want… They want to be able to contract out the work,” said Boyle.

However, if the strike carries on much longer that is exactly what will happen. McLaren has been in touch with Municipal Affairs and Housing on a regular basis and has received advice about how to proceed.

“I have the authority under the Municipal Act to make unilateral decisions. Its not the most appropriate way of doing things but it is legal,” said McLaren.

Story by Rob Learn        rlearn@metrolandnorthmedia.com