Staff strike in community of St. Charles at a stalemate
Seven unionized staff members in St. Charles have been on strike for three weeks in a labour disruption that appears to be at a stalemate.
The union's business officer, Mike Ryan, said they have had several bargaining sessions and were close to an agreement on a contract "that we don't believe affects the economic realities of what's going on today."
"We all know that the price of everything is going up, we really don't believe that the members were out of line with what they're asking for due to the economic realities," Ryan said.
He said the union is seeking a "front-loaded" contract that provides relief from rising inflation now.
"A lot of the agreements that we have settled so far this year have been top heavy in that they are front-loaded, in that the first year there seems to be a higher bargaining percentage in the first year," Ryan said.
"Subsequent years are less because we realize the people need the money now. Gas, food prices, lodging … everything has gone through the roof in the past six to eight months … We know that they're going to settle down but people need help right away. Most of the collective agreements that we are settling now do recognize that."
He said they got a "flat out no" from the municipality. Despite the setback, he said spirits are high on the picket line and community support for the group has been huge.
They're hoping to propose some 'creative' bargaining with the municipality when the conciliation officer returns from her vacation on Monday.
CTV News received a statement on the labour dispute from St. Charles CAO Denis Turcot. It reads in part:
"Together, we believe the parties can negotiate to resolve the remaining issues, and reach a reasonable agreement for our staff, and that is affordable for taxpayers.
"It is disappointing that some municipal services are and could further be affected by the labour disruption, but our focus is on resolving issues at the table and minimizing any affect on or disruption of services to our residents. We will continue to work toward a fair and sustainable deal."
'A VERY FAIR AMOUNT'
Rick Lloyd works as a custodian/labourer for the town. He said walking the picket line is the last thing he wants to be doing.
"It's kind of tough there," Lloyd said.
"We've been trying to drum out support and inform the community what's going on. It all comes down to the cost of living, it's over eight per cent right now and I think we're asking for a very fair amount."
Lloyd said they've been working without a contract for the past six months and there hasn't been any real bargaining on the issue.
"We'd rather be back at work for the community. We enjoy doing our jobs," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Maple Leafs eliminated from NHL playoffs with Game 7 OT loss to Bruins
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
What a judge's gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
A gag order bars Trump from commenting publicly on witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the matter. The New York judge already has found that Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, repeatedly violated the order, fined him US$9,000 and warning that jail could follow if he doesn't comply.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Pro-Palestinian protesters at USC comply with school order to leave their encampment
Protesters left a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California early Sunday after they were surrounded by police and told they could face arrest if they didn’t go.
Israel says Hamas attacks a crossing point into Gaza, wounding 10 Israelis and forcing its closure
Hamas militants on Sunday attacked Israel's main crossing point for delivering humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, reportedly wounding several Israelis and prompting Israel to close the terminal.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc says
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.