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Lindsay, Ont. CUPE 855, representing striking workers at the City of Kawartha Lakes, is urging Mayor Ric McGee to show leadership by doing what it takes to settle the week-long municipal strike. The 400 municipal workers went on strike on Monday, February 4, to stop their employer’s repeated attacks on public services and on the 400 workers who provide municipal services.
We believe it is our Mayor, not management, who has the full authority to help end this strike, said Lyn Edwards, president of CUPE 855. Residents of the City of Kawartha Lakes elected him to lead our City it’s time for Mayor McGee to stand up for public services and for the workers who help keep our City running safely and smoothly.
Management’s contracting out agenda and unending tactics to undermine the workforce led to this strike. Some of the outstanding issues include management’s refusal to compensate winter maintenance workers the appropriate rate of pay for them to start at 4:00 am to keep the roads safe, denying women workers the flexibility to balance work/family life, denying workers over 65 their entitled benefits, perpetuating the wage gap between Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough workers, with Kawartha Lakes workers earning significantly less than their counterparts in Peterborough, and management’s unlimited powers to contract out public services.
We are urging residents to contact the mayor and tell him to help end this strike so we can go back to work and provide important public services for our community, said Edwards.
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For further information, please contact:
Lyn Edwards Alison Davidson James Chai
CUPE 855 President CUPE National Rep. CUPE Communications
705-878-2152 705-760-5113 416-292-3999
