The union representing outside workers in Central Elgin is ratcheting up pressure on the municipality, with members prepared to walk out if a deal is not reached by the strike deadline.
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Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 35.3 is pushing for Central Elgin to get back to the bargaining table with a better offer as it prepares to strike March 11, drawing a large crowd to the municipality’s council meeting Monday night in a show of solidarity .
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“We’re trying to reach an agreement that’s fair for both sides,” said Scott Evely, a member of Local 35.3. “We’ve come to a point where we haven’t been able to agree and finalize anything. We’re ready to negotiate.”
CUPE Local 35.3 represents 34 municipal staffers in several departments, including roads, water and wastewater, garbage collection and parks and recreation, including arenas and beach services.
Central Elgin, a predominantly rural municipality, surrounds the north, west and southern edges of St. Thomas and includes the communities of Belmont and Port Stanley.
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“We provide a lot of vital services to the community,” Evely said. “We’re proud of the work we do and we’re seeking a collective agreement that respects that and one our members can ratify.”
In a statement, CUPE accused the municipality of “pushing things toward a potential labor disruption.” The union seeks unspecified wage-related changes and benefit enhancements.
The three-year collective agreement between the union and Central Elgin expired at the end of December. Negotiations with the municipality began at the beginning of the year, Evely said.
Ninety-seven per hundred of members voted in favor of a strike, the union said.
About 65 CUPE Local 35.3 supporters, including members and other union representatives, sat in on Monday’s council meeting, Evely said.
The union also has launched an email campaign, urging residents to send messages to Central Elgin councilors supporting CUPE’s position in advance of the strike deadline.
Central Elgin Mayor Andrew Sloan did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
CUPE represents about 170,000 municipal workers in about 1,100 bargaining units.
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