162 layoffs in Quebec City | Illegal says Union

The 162 blue-collar layoffs issued by the City of Quebec yesterday are illegal. This was the legal opinion given to the executive of the City’s manual workers’ union (Syndicat des employés manuels – CUPE 1638) who were quick to file a motion for intervention with the Quebec labour relations board, the Commission des relations du travail du Québec (CRT).

Union president Marc-André Dufour says that the application was submitted this afternoon (Wednesday).

The application states that not only did the Labeaume administration proceed to layoffs, but “it appears that the City has used a private company to do the work of the blue-collar employees shown the door for a so-called lack of work. These layoffs can also be seen as “a retaliatory measure against employees, amounting to a lockout prohibited by the Code (111.0.26), in order to compel them to accept the City’s position on the privatization of municipal services.” The petition also states, “These measures deprive the citizens of Quebec City of services to which they have a right.”

In conclusion, the emergency application to the CRT requests that it “order the City to end the lockout” and “to reimburse the employees for their lost pay.”

At the time of this release, the CRT has announced that it will hear the representations of the parties in this case on Friday morning (April 19).

Given the legal nature of the process, the union representatives will limit themselves for now to the statements made in this release…

Source:

via 162 layoffs in Quebec City < Municipalities, Quebec | CUPE.