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Opinion: Union challenge ' Come to the bargaining table, Mr. Stopper'

Since he has not yet attended any bargaining sessions, I am certain Mr. Stopper would find the experience valuable, even enlightening.
children's aid locked out workers 3 turl 2017
Locked out Children's Aid society picket outside the McIntyre St. office. Photo by Jeff Turl.

By Fran Bélanger, Canadian Union of Public Employees

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This letter is sent in response to “Let’s step back from the rhetoric says Children's Aid board president” (Feb. 15) by John Stopper, regarding the lockout at Nipissing and Parry Sound CAS. 

 

Although he claims to want to “step back from the rhetoric” around the nine-week lockout at Nipissing and Parry Sound CAS, interim board president John Stopper hasn’t made any attempt to represent fairly the issues that are at the heart of the labour dispute. 

 

Certainly his arguments and assertions don’t reflect the realities of unionized workers’ jobs or the lockout issues. In fact, CUPE has made significant changes in its bargaining position, removing several of its proposals and scaling back others in an attempt to reach an agreement. 

 

But rather than refute his inaccuracies point by point, I would prefer to issue Mr. Stopper a public invitation to sit at the bargaining table the next time the union and the CAS meet in another attempt to resolve the lockout.

 

Since he has not yet attended any bargaining sessions, I am certain Mr. Stopper would find the experience valuable, even enlightening.

 

And if he’d like to learn more, my contact details are on the letter I sent to the board president on January 26. I’d be happy to give Mr. Stopper a clearer picture of what’s really going on at Nipissing and Parry Sound CAS.

 

Yours sincerely,

Fran Bélanger
Canadian Union of Public Employees