Some 130 workers at the Granby Zoo carried out their threat by launching a strike on Tuesday morning, denouncing the slowness of negotiations concerning the renewal of their collective agreement. Despite everything, the popular park located in Estrie remains open to visitors.
The workers concerned, who are members of a union of the Fédération du Commerce, affiliated with the CSN, were given a ten-day strike mandate last week to be exercised at the appropriate time.
These include office staff, animal care technicians, mechanics, naturalist interpreters, carpenters and others.
In a press release, the National Union of Employees of the Société Zoologique de Granby, maintenance and caretakers section, explained that it had chosen to walk off the job on Tuesday because the last negotiation meetings did not allow for a “significant release,” in its opinion.
Last week, the union reported that barely 10 per cent of the normative clauses had been settled and that the parties had not yet addressed the salary issue. The last collective agreement for the workers concerned expired on Dec. 31.
Among the points in dispute are seasonal employment status and access to positions linked to seniority, reports the union.
The union assures that its pressure tactics will not have a negative impact on the health of the animals.
For its part, the management of the Granby Zoo confirmed Tuesday that its animal park, its water park and its amusement park remain open despite the strike, as do visitor services such as restaurants and shops.
In its own statement, management said it respects the right of striking employees “to express their concerns.” Assuring that they are doing everything in their power to “quickly resolve this conflict through a mutually beneficial agreement for all parties concerned.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews