After an optimistic round of negotiations last week, the gates of the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery remain closed, as an optimistic round of negotiations last week led to the unions representing the workers being unimpressed with last-minute management requests.
The union says it had to postpone a Wednesday ratification vote which could have led to the end of the months-long strike because of a "surprising request" from management on the return to work terms.
"The employer's obstruction is preventing the parties from reaching an agreement between the parties, preventing the presentation of the conciliator's recommendation," the union said in a news release. "The possibility for union members to vote on the recommendation, and above all, the hope of settling the conflict, is once again in jeopardy."
Cemetery maintenance union president Patrick Chartrand accused management of throwing "sand in the process" and frustrating union members.
"By issuing new demands at the last minute, it's not respecting the bargaining process," he said. "It shows a lack of respect not only for the members but also for the chief conciliator and the CSN."
CTV News asked the union what the surprising request or requests were, but was told it was confidential as negotiations are ongoing.
The 17 members of the cemetery's office workers union went on strike on Sept. 20. The around 100 maintenance workers joined them Jan. 12.
The around 425 provincial public service employees that work at the cemetery are also on strike.
The strike seemed like it would end last week when a tentative deal was reached between the two parties.
Groundskeepers have been without a collective agreement since 2018, while office workers haven't had a contract since 2017, putting grieving families in the middle of the dispute. About 300 bodies waiting to be buried because of the job action are being stored at freezing temperatures in an on-site repository.
