Troubled Black River-Matheson Township, striking workers reach tentative deal

Striking Black River-Matheson workers who have been off the job for more than 200 days – almost seven months – have reached a tentative agreement with the town.

Locked out workers from CUPE Local 1490 in Matheson were joined by demonstrators from North Bay and Temiskaming Shores on November 17, 2023 in a rally of support for unions across the province that are following the labour dispute closely. (File photo/Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)

Both the Township of Black River-Matheson and CUPE Local 1490 released announcements late Friday night about the tentative deal to end the labour dispute, which started on Oct. 15, 2023.

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The chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board helped the parties reached the settlement through a mediation process.

Last month, the two sides had reached a deal in principle, but the bargaining talks broke down over union stipulations that there would be no reprisals for what happened during the strike once back on the job along with issues with the return to work protocol.

"Both parties have agreed there will be no reprisals against any bargaining unit employee for alleged conduct during the labour dispute," said CUPE officials in the news release.

"The mutually agreed-upon goal is to concentrate on providing good services to the community in a positive work setting. The township and the workers together are committed to achieving this goal."

The town’s bargaining team was led by CAO Chris Wray and municipal clerk Cassandra Child, both of whom have signed off on the deal.

The CUPE 1490 bargaining which includes Brendon Nugent, Tom Pullen and Local president Serge Bouchard is recommending that the membership accept the agreement.

If the agreement is ratified, town employees would return to work on May 15.

The labour dispute

The ongoing labour dispute started in October 2023 when the township locked out 14 CUPE members then the members went on strike when the township ended the lockout in January.

The union had applied for a judicial review of the township’s conduct, claiming it violated Charter rights in February by banning CUPE members from town facilities and the town had hired an investigator to determine whether union members have been displaying threatening and harmful behaviour.

The town rejected the proposed back-to-work protocols in April and had refused to call off the investigation.

Changes in Matheson

The tentative agreement comes only days after Matheson’s mayor and council members were booted out of office by the province.

On April 29, Minister of Municipal Affairs Paul Calandra dissolved the sitting council.

Using a section of the Municipal Act that hasn't been exercised in nearly 30 years, Calandra vacated all of the council seats after it failed to meet quorum for 60 days.

According to ministry records, the last time a municipal council was declared vacant was in 1993 in the former Township of Front of Escott, now part of the Township of Leeds and The Thousand Islands.

Black River-Matheson has a seven-seat council, meaning a minimum of four members must be in attendance to achieve quorum.

With a seat vacant following the resignation of Ward 2 councillor Keith Neal in February, three other councillors began boycotting council meetings to force the province to act and form a new council.

“It is the job of municipally elected councillors to ensure the continued provision of services for residents,” Calandra said in a statement.

“This includes attending council meetings and filling council vacancies as soon as possible. The absence of meetings impedes decision-making and negatively affects local residents.”

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Kathy Horgan, the ministry's manager of local government and housing has been appointed to make any decisions that council would make on an interim basis. Horgan will report to Calandra on the 15th and 30th of each month.

“An appointee will be in place until the byelection is complete, and a new council is in place,” said Calandra.

“The appointee will exercise the duties and obligations of council in an accountable and transparent manner.”

The ministry will post all reports from the appointee on the township’s website.

A byelection has been scheduled for Aug. 12, with the nomination period open from June 1 to 2 p.m. on June 28.

With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalists Sergio Arangio, Lydia Chubak and Darren MacDonald