Laval’s blue-collar workers will begin a three-day strike at 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, as the Jeux de la francophonie canadienne take place on Laval territory.
The strike will last 53 hours, and will continue until 7 p.m. Saturday evening. The walkout will end one hour before the closing ceremony of the Jeux de la francophonie canadienne.
The affected local of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the FTQ, represents 850 blue-collar workers at Ville de Laval.
On Tuesday, the Tribunal administratif du travail approved the agreement reached between the parties on the essential services to be maintained during the strike. However, several citizen services will be affected.
Ville de Laval reports that municipal arenas will be closed and that sports association activities will be cancelled, postponed or moved to other locations.
At the Centre de la nature, the animals will receive their daily care, but the farm and greenhouse will be closed. The parking lots, washrooms and chalet will remain accessible. The trails will be passable, but will not be maintained.
“In this period of summer vacation, the City deplores the consequences of this union action on certain activities prized by young people and their families,” Ville de Laval emphasized in a press release.
In addition, the dry materials reception area in the Fabreville sector will be closed, while the Vimont ecocenter will operate on a modified schedule for the three days.
This will be the second strike by Laval’s blue-collar workers since the start of the year, who also walked off the job from March 6 to 12.
According to the union, the main stumbling block in the talks is the wage issue.
“These are difficult times. The historic inflationary context is hurting us. We want a satisfactory agreement and hope that this time, the City will make the necessary efforts to reach an agreement,” pleaded union president Louis-Pierre Plourde in a press release.
The collective agreement for Laval’s blue-collar workers expired on Dec. 31, 2021. Negotiations for its renewal did not begin in earnest until spring 2023.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
