Drummondville, Que., crossing guards reject agreement

Workers vote to strike: Union

At a general meeting on June 12, Drummondville, Que., school crossing guards rejected the agreement in principle reached on May 11 between the City and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

The crossing guards have availed themselves of their right to strike, which they will exercise at the appropriate time, said the union.

“Despite being in excellent financial health, Drummondville still refuses to present an offer that would enable the crossing guards to match the salaries of those in comparable cities. In addition, the city does not want to address the important issue of paying for scheduled leave,” said Nina Laflamme, CUPE union representative.

The salaries of these crossing guards were barely higher than minimum wage for 20 years. They do not have any kind of uniform, are not given any sick or moveable leave and experience administrative difficulties with the employer, according to CUPE.

“The crossing guards certainly do not feel respected or recognized for the work they do. But it’s particularly disturbing not to have the first agreement after more than a year of talks,” said Laflamme.

With more than 114,000 members in Quebec, CUPE represents about 70 per cent of the province’s municipal employees, or 31,600 members. 

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