Since the end of July 2024, some 130 unionized employees of the Granby Zoo have been locked out and the situation has still not been resolved between the union and management parties.
“The Tribunal held two days of hearing. At the end of the second day, the Tribunal informed the parties that the evidence provided allowed it to establish that the employer used scabs. The employer admitted to having contravened the Code,” we can read in the order handed down on December 19, including The Voice of the East got a copy.
According to Camille De Rome, spokesperson for locked-out union employees, an inspector from the Ministry of Labor made a surprise visit to the Granby Zoo in August 2024 to ensure that the law was respected.
The Court relies on article 109.1 of the Labor Code to order the Société Zoologique de Granby to no longer use certain people identified in its order and others to help management staff in their daily tasks.
This article of law prohibits an employer from replacing employees on strike or locked out with so-called replacement workers in an establishment affected by a strike or lockout.
Employs six women illegally
More specifically, the Administrative Labor Tribunal requested that the Société Zoologique de Granby stop employing six women to carry out tasks that were reserved for employees currently locked out.
The order issued by the Administrative Labor Tribunal must be displayed at the entrance to the Granby Zoo.
“Only managers are authorized to replace union workers. We know that they use volunteers who are related to the management staff. This situation is tolerated by the Ministry of Labor,” mentions Camille De Rome, in an interview with La Voice from the East.
Camille De Rome, spokesperson for locked-out union employees at the Granby Zoo. (Catherine Trudeau/La Voix de l’Est)
There is no shortage of work for managers working with animals. “We have to take care of it on a daily basis and twice a day by providing the required veterinary care,” Paul Gosselin, general director of the Granby Zoo, told us last October.
“We hope that this decision of the Court raises the awareness of the employer,” comments Ms. De Rome.
The CSN did not wish to publish a press release on the order issued by the Administrative Labor Tribunal.
“We wanted to give tomorrow’s negotiations (Wednesday) a chance,” underlined Thierry Larivière, communications advisor at the CSN in an email exchange with the newspaper.
-“We feel during this labor dispute that we are replaceable.”
— Camille De Rome, spokesperson for locked-out union employees at the Granby Zoo
This Wednesday, January 15, a new negotiation meeting was held between the union and employer parties.
Even if the negotiations are not progressing at the speed desired by the unionized employees concerned, the normative part which affects working conditions seems settled.
“It remains to resolve the issues of salaries, creation of positions and negotiations regarding schedules for flexible leave. Our expectations are very far from what they offer,” mentions Camille De Rome who works as a horticulturist at the Granby Zoo.
62 negotiation meetings
Since the start of the labor dispute, the union side has had no less than 62 negotiation meetings.
“Today (Wednesday), we will submit a global counter-offer to the employer side. In the event that the response is not satisfactory, we will accelerate the mobilization,” warns the union spokesperson.
“We are disappointed. We had expectations that the situation would resolve itself after the holiday season.”
Granby Zoo management was not available at the time of publishing this report.
The demands of locked-out employees are clearly expressed in front of the Granby Zoo facilities. (Catherine Trudeau/La Voix de l’Est)
On January 29, this category of Granby Zoo employees will have been locked out for six months. The collective agreement that governs their work expired on December 31, 2023.
The National Union of Employees of the Société Zoologique de Granby–CSN, maintenance and caretakers section, represents veterinary and animal care technicians, naturalists-interpreters, mechanics, carpenters as well as members of administrative staff.
