The city of Chateauguay has filed a complaint with the Labour Relations Board against that city's police union and its new "uniforms."
Last Friday the officers unveiled their new western look, complete with cowboy hats and plastic stars, as part of their pressure tactics against pension reform.
The move was immediately met with criticism from those who said that suburban Montreal was not the Wild West, and it's led to a formal complaint that the uniforms look unprofessional.
The city and the union met behind closed doors in an attempt to reach an agreement, but when that failed public hearings into the matter began Friday morning.
Steve Zimmerman, a Chateauguay resident, testified on behalf of the city after being pulled over this week.
He said that while he was sitting in a parking lot an unmarked car flashed its lights, and an "officer" stepped out and demanded his license and registration.
Zimmerman said he did not recognize the man as a police officer and felt he was being accosted by someone in a "Halloween costume."
The incident did not end well, with the officer pulling Zimmerman out of his vehicle and threatening to arrest him.
Several other witnesses are scheduled to testify by the end of the day, and the Labour Relations Board should make a decision next week.
