CUPE Local 500 President statement on replacement workers
June 01, 2017 at 4:26 PM
CUPE Local 500 President Gord Delbridge, made the following statement today:
CUPE Local 500 is strongly opposed to the principle and practice of using replacement workers to do the work of striking employees in any situation, in any workplace, in any union.
Using replacement workers undermines and devalues the efforts of striking workers to achieve a fair collective agreement. The use of replacement workers often prolongs strikes or lockouts, further disrupting services to the community.
We are incredibly proud of our colleagues at the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg (UFFW) and the Winnipeg Association of Public Service Officers (WAPSO) for taking the principled stance against the use of their members as replacement workers if CUPE members are on strike.
We are disappointed to learn that the City of Winnipeg has been training replacement workers for months. This is a clear sign that the City has been planning for a strike or lockout instead of sitting down at the bargaining table with acceptable proposals.
CUPE Local 500 is committed to negotiating a fair contract with the City of Winnipeg, and we will do everything we can to reach an agreement without resorting to strike action.
