MEDIA ADVISORY: CUPE municipal workers to rally on Tuesday to protect public services in Wellesley

Event Information

Begins: 26 Oct 2021 @ 4:30 PM
Location: Wellesley, ON

WELLESLEY, ON –/COMMUNITYWIRE/– Municipal workers represented by CUPE Local 1542 are calling on the Township of Wellesley to maintain the quality of public services in their community, and abandon plans to implement cuts.

On Tuesday afternoon, CUPE 1542 members will be joined by Fred Hahn, the president of CUPE Ontario, and other allies for a car rally starting outside the administrative office of the Township of Wellesley.

After the rally, Hahn and CUPE 1542 member Shawn Geiger will be addressing the Wellesley Township’s virtual council meeting at 6:45 p.m. for a deputation on the importance of public services in the community in the face of cutbacks.

CUPE 1542 unit one members have been on the frontlines throughout the pandemic, serving their community as staff in the public works and recreation departments. Their jobs include upkeep of recreation spots including public parks, skating rinks and trails; as well as infrastructure maintenance of roads, sidewalks and buildings.

CUPE 1542 is currently negotiating a new collective agreement for its 12 members. The Township has tabled a long list of concessions including cuts to benefits, vacation time and a clothing allowance; elimination of overtime and unprecedented scheduling changes as well as rewriting of job classifications.

“They want to rewrite our entire collective agreement, which we have negotiated over 47 years. By hurting the people who help maintain our public parks and sports fields, who repair potholes and plow snow, the Council is hurting the people who live and work in our community. When you reduce the benefits our members and their families rely on, and downgrade working conditions, you end up undermining the quality of the services the workers provide,” said Chris Roth, president of CUPE 1542.

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For media requests:

Zaid Noorsumar, Communications Representative, 647-995-9859, znoorsumar@cupe.ca