Chateauguay's snowbanks remain uncleared in row between mayor, blue collar workers
Chateauguay is still digging out from all the recent snow – but the mayor is underwater due to a municipal spat.
The South Shore city’s mayor, Eric Allard, called in trucks from the private sector to help after blue-collar workers refused to work evenings and weekends to get the job done.
“It is dangerous right now. People walking in the street, it's unacceptable,” Allard said of the snow, pointing to how students are walking in the streets from a local high school because there’s nowhere to walk on the sidewalk.
Allard said because the snow wasn’t being cleared quickly enough by city workers, he had to make a decision to call in workers from the private sector.
“We wanted to help the blue collars so we used the collective agreement. There's a clause there that allows us to call external trucks only for the snow removal process,” he said.
Allegedly, that's when the trouble started.
“Some people did not like the situation, even though it was in the collective agreement, and we got some intimidation, we got some vandalism,” said Allard.
Allard said the city has been dealing with death threats and vandalism.
He went on to explain there have been four instances of metal bars placed in snowbanks that damaged snowblowers.
“Metal rods that appear in snowbanks. I don't believe in hazards like that it's a deliberate act for sure,” said Allard.
A noose was placed in the boss's office in the municipal garage.
“There's some supervisor that entered a room and there was a hanging rope that was installed for them. It's unacceptable in 2023,” said Allard.
An urgent meeting was called between the city and workers in front of the labour board on Saturday night when a burst water pipe also went unfixed.
Both parties were called a second time Wednesday to appear before a judge.
The blue-collar workers union SCFP (Syndicat Canadien de la function publique) released a statement on the spat.
“During a labour relations meeting, the union and management agreed on the framework for blowing snow. We had found solutions, but despite this, the city did not take them into account and called on the private sector to do the work,” it said.
The next steps will be decided by the labour tribunal.
“We should be able to clear the city,” said Allard. “We should be able to make the city more secure because people are at risk walking so we're waiting for the decision of the tribunal.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.