Montréal, Québec — Some 30 members of Local 10004 of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees (USJE) demonstrated in front of the offices of their employer, C Division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to protest the withdrawal of the physical union office the Local has been using for over 15 years.
USJE Local 10004 had been using a union office in the workplace for over 15 years. Without any apparent cause, two weeks after the end of the historic PSAC strike, the employer has indicated that the Local will be removed by July 31, 2023. This decision will have damaging consequences in terms of labour relations and the smooth running of operations at work.
Another significant aspect is the need for a safe place for our members, the majority of whom are women, to discuss sensitive workplace matters and provide support. To illustrate this need, 27% of people working for the RCMP recently said they somewhat or strongly disagreed with being able to initiate a formal redress process (e.g. grievance, complaint, right of appeal) without fear of reprisal.
“We urge RCMP management to reconsider this decision. Healthy labour relations contribute as much to the well-being of our members as they do the performance level expected by the employer. The sudden removal of the union office is fundamentally disrespectful. Forcing our members into vagrancy when it comes to their labour rights is unacceptable,” says Andréanne Samson, Quebec Regional Vice-President.