Thursday September 22, 2022
IMPORTANT: CUPE 2977 Bargaining Update
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As you know, we are in collective agreement negotiations with our employer. We met with the employer on five (5) different occasions between February 2022 and June 2022. However, the employer has yet to agree to our modest and fair bargaining proposals. Due to this, we have applied for conciliation with the first meeting to take place on October 19, 2022.
If an agreement still cannot be reached, even with the help of a Conciliation Officer, either the union or the employer can request a ‘no-board report’ from the Ministry of Labour. Once requested, the Ministry will issue a ‘No Board Report’ (usually within 5 days) which triggers a 17-day period before a legal lockout or strike can occur.
As you know, we held a strike mandate vote on June 20, 2022, to help us succeed in negotiating a better contract. There was an overwhelmingly positive response with 95% in favour. This shows our solidarity and sends a strong message to the employer that we are united and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve a fair collective agreement.
Through the past several months, we have been training a strike committee made up of a group of volunteers to lead our members if a work stoppage were to occur. This committee will care to picket line coordination, administration, communication, and finance.
Our goal is to negotiate a collective agreement that we can all feel proud of—one that recognizes and respects our important work.
Please ensure that you have provided us with up-to-date contact information as we will continue to send updates as they occur.
Also, please refer to the attached Bargaining FAQ for more information about the bargaining process.
In solidarity,
Your CUPE 2977 Bargaining Committee