ELLIOT LAKE, ON – Local 170 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) received a 100 per cent strike mandate from City of Elliot Lake municipal workers, in support of their bargaining committee’s efforts to negotiate a fair collective agreement on behalf of 56 inside and outside workers.

“We have asked for a provincial conciliator to assist with the negotiations that have so far been difficult to resolve,” said Don Gillis, president of CUPE 170. “We want to assure residents we will do everything in our power to settle our contract without a strike – all we are looking for is fair treatment, like other employee groups with the city.”

Two days of conciliation talks have been scheduled for November 18 and 19, with the assistance of a Ministry of Labour conciliation officer.

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The Town of Richmond Hill’s outside workers have planned an “information picket” outside town hall Wednesday afternoon.

The picket comes on the heels of those same town employees voting unanimously in favour to strike, should their demands not be met by the town in upcoming talks.

The employees expected to picket at 4:15 p.m. are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 905 and a possible strike could take roughly 100 full and part-time workers away from duties, including operating arenas and community centres, plowing roads, maintaining sewers, parks and roads.

According to CUPE national representative Grant Dart, the information picket will provide an opportunity for employees to bring their message to the public who rely on the daily work performed by many of these employees.

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RICHMOND HILL, ON - Outside workers in Richmond Hill have voted 100 per cent to strike.

Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 905 are trying to achieve a fair contract that includes the same wage increase as other municipal workers in the Region of York, and a one-time market adjustment to meet the municipality’s job evaluation requirements.

“We are not asking for the moon,” said Derek Bakshi, president of Local 905. “We know there are 79 members of the Richmond Hill management who are on the sunshine list (those who earn over $100,000) and we don’t earn anywhere near that.  We just want a fair wage so we can support our families.”

“We don’t just work here, we pay our taxes here and we are members of this community and we contribute to it. In fact, our local just donated $3,000 to charity.”

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Longshore workers at the Port of Montreal reached a tentative agreement with employers Friday. The head of the union says members are sure to ratify it.

The Maritime Employers Association at the Port of Montreal reached the agreement under federal mediation with Canada’s largest union Canadian Union of Public Employees.

The roughly 900 longshoremen locked out for five days in July will vote on the agreement on Sept. 23, and “they will accept it, for sure,” Daniel Tremblay, president of CUPE Local 375, said in an interview Monday.

The agreement runs retroactively from January 2009 until Dec. 31, 2012. It gives the longshore workers pay increases of 1.5 percent for the retroactive year, 2 percent for 2010 and 2011 and 2.5 percent for 2012, Tremblay said.

The number of longshore workers will be reduced by 50 through retirement this year as a means of meeting the essential concern of the MEA that costs of providing job security for workers had been too high. In another cost reduction, the guaranteed hours of work for 55 employees have been reduced to 36 hours a week from 40.

The practice of paying workers to remain on standby for late or early-hours’ loading and unloading of ships will remain unchanged, with these exceptions, Tremblay said.

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EMC News – Businesses, light industry, apartment and condominium residents could face disruptions to garbage collection in as little as 10 days unless the company contracted to provide the service presents a serious contract offer, warned Dan Sauve, president, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 1338.

On July 6, members of Local 1338, representing 65 waste haulers and landfill employees voted more than 95 per cent in favour of taking job action, if necessary, to push back crippling benefit clawbacks proposed by their employer, Waste Management Canada.

“Our members do not want to go on strike, but they sent a clear message yesterday to the employer that they will not turn their backs on decades worth of collective bargaining that helps them provide for their families now, and in their retirement years,” said Sauve.

The union sent a letter today to local businesses and industries in Ottawa, Kanata, West Carleton, Stittsville, Gloucester, Rideau and other area communities warning them of the potential impact of a labour dispute and encouraging them to have contingency plans in place.

“We understand that people may be inconvenienced in the event of a work stoppage, and we felt it was important to let those who could be affected know the current state of negotiations so they could be prepared,” said Sauve.

However, given the employer’s insistence on putting forward major concessions to short- and long-term disability plans, as well as dental and drug benefits, he added that it didn’t appear Waste Management was serious about negotiations.

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The threat of a garbage strike for businesses and light industry is now looming over Ottawa this summer.

The union representing 65 waste haulers and landfill employees employed by Waste Management are threatening to go on strike by the end of the month if a contact is not finalized.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says its members voted more than 95 per cent in favour of job action in as little as 17 days to push back a proposal from Waste Management to claw back benefits.

CUPE local President Dan Sauve tells CFRA News that after five days of negotiations, the only outstanding issues are wages and a proposal from Waste Management to cut benefits by 25 per cent.

The union represents workers who collect garbage at businesses and light industry across Ottawa, and recycling from apartment and condominium buildings.

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CALGARY, ALBERTA–(Marketwire – April 8, 2010) – The union representing security guards at Heritage Park is warning that the Employer’s request for mediation might mean that the Heritage Park Society is preparing to lock out employees seeking a first collective agreement.

Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 37 President Kevin Galley, is concerned that the Heritage Park Society is putting upcoming events at the park in jeopardy.

“I am very disappointed that the Employer chose to go the route of mediation at this time as we felt there has been plenty of progress at the bargaining table,” said Galley. ”We believe it may be the intention of the Employer’s bargaining team to quickly go through the mediation process so they can lock out the employees.”

“CUPE Local 37 will not stand idly by while the Heritage Park Society takes this aggressive move to crush a small number of their employees represented by a union.”

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EMC News – BFI Canada Inc. workers, members of Local 1338-02 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are ready to go on strike if, it notes, the company doesn’t show more openness to their contract demands. The workers are responsible for recycling and waste collection in the west end.

The 40 workers, who collect residential and commercial garbage and recycling for approximately 25 per cent of Ottawa, have voted over 90 per cent in favour of strike action if a collective agreement is not reached with the employer. The strike vote took place March 17.

In a press release, the union notes it has been frustrated with what it claims the employer’s refusal to bargain fairly. The bargaining has stumbled on wages, hours of work and overtime, and has come to a halt over benefits such as healthcare insurance, long term disability, etc.

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