Negotiations with the Town of Kearney resume after CUPE Local 1813 requests Ministry Conciliation Officer. Union demands Town of Kearney stop dragging its heels; says residents deserve better.

KEARNEY, ON –(COMMUNITYWIRE)– CUPE 1813, representing inside and outside municipal workers for the Town of Kearney (the employer), will meet to bargain for the first time since April.

Kearney’s municipal workers have been without a contract since May 2023. The last scheduled meeting was April 30^th, 2024, which the employer abruptly cancelled. CUPE 1813’s bargaining team concluded that the only way forward was to request help for conciliation from the Ministry of Labour.

“The employer has been dragging its heels for over a year and a half. It’s sad, but we have no choice. It’s the only thing we can do to get this uncooperative employer back to the table,” says local union president Rebecca Madrid. “To date, we’ve had incredible community support. Kearney is a small, close-knit town, and residents depend on vital municipal services. However, mismanagement, poor planning, and understaffing make it impossible to deliver these services reliably. Residents deserve better.”

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For more information, please contact:

Robert Murdoch, CUPE Communications
Tel: 365-873-2431
Email: rmurdoch@cupe.ca