Employees gathered outside of Vidéotron’s Gatineau, Québec location on Monday after the telecom company locked 214 unionized employees out of work.
Patrick Gloutney, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in Québec, spoke to the impacted employees of SEVL-CUPE 2815.
“This unfortunate decision by the employer therefore pushes 214 families onto the street,” Gloutney said in a press release. “Proud workers who will have to find ways to make ends meet while inflation hits hard.”
Employees have been without a collective agreement since August 3rd, 2021.
In an October 27th lockout notice, Vidéotron said it had “no choice” but to issue the lockout.
The company says it participated in 18 bargaining sessions with local union representatives and “several high‑level meetings” with representatives from CUPE. The union rejected “legitimate requests” deemed as “necessary” to address industry changes, Vidéotron said.
A final offer came on October 10th, but 74 percent of the union members rejected it.
“The main points in Vidéotron’s offer included a 14.5 percent wage increase over seven years, plus lump‑sum payments equivalent to 3 percent of salary, for a total of 17.5 percent. When combined with the 4 percent annual raise for which over 70 percent of employees are eligible, this comes to a 45.5 percent increase over the seven‑year period.”
Vidéotron also requested an increase in outsourced jobs, saying 350 positions at its call centers are unfilled despite efforts to fill them.
But Nick Mingione, president of SEVL-CUPE 2815, said the offer wasn’t enough. “The main issue is excessive subcontracting and the relocation of jobs overseas,” Mingione said in an English-translated statement after the vote.
“Vidéotron is a very profitable company that receives a lot of subsidies from different levels of government. We want to ensure that Vidéotron also gives back to the community by creating and maintaining quality jobs.”
Image credit: Shutterstock
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