Management at Granby Zoo has locked out the 130 employees who signed an unlimited strike action mandate last week.
They were due to return to work on Monday after a strike lasting almost ten days.
In a press release issued on Monday morning, the zoo’s management stated that the lockout “ensures stability for the well-being of the animals” and “ensures predictability for managers who are currently covering for the striking employees.”
According to Granby Zoo President and CEO Paul Gosselin, the threat of an indefinite strike made it “impossible to operate the site effectively under the threat of service interruption at any time.”
Granby Zoo remains open despite the lockout. However, “it is possible that the strike will have a slight impact on the experience” of visitors.
As such, the price of admission has been reduced from $59.99 to $39.99.
The Syndicat national des salariés de la société zoologique de Granby, affiliated to the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), announced last Friday that the option of an indefinite strike, to be called at the appropriate time, received support from 91 per cent of members present at its general assembly.
Some 130 veterinary and animal care technicians, naturalist interpreters, mechanics, carpenters and administrative staff are part of the negotiations.
Their collective agreements expired on Dec. 31.
The workers went on strike for the first time on July 9, before beginning a strike sequence on July 20.
The walkout took place under a ten-day strike mandate adopted earlier this month.
Union members are demanding greater job stability, work-life-study balance and better staff attraction and retention.
For its part, Granby Zoo points out that it tabled a global offer on July 22 to the employees and says it hopes to “rapidly reach a mutually advantageous agreement for all parties concerned.”
— This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 29, 2024.