Some 130 workers at the Granby Zoo carried out their threat by going on strike Tuesday morning, denouncing the slow pace of negotiations regarding the renewal of their collective agreement. The popular park located in the Eastern Townships remains open to visitors, however.
The workers concerned, who are members of a union of the Fédération du commerce, affiliated with the CSN, had given themselves a ten-day strike mandate last week to be exercised at the appropriate time.
These include office staff, animal care technicians, mechanics, interpreter naturalists, carpenters and others.
In a press release, the National Union of Employees of the Granby Zoological Society, maintenance and caretakers section, explained that it had chosen to strike on Tuesday because the last negotiation meetings had not led to a “significant breakthrough”, in its opinion.
Last week, the union reported that only 10% of the normative clauses had been settled and that the parties had not yet addressed the wage issue. The last collective agreement for the workers concerned expired on December 31.
Among the issues in dispute are seasonal employment status and access to positions based on seniority, the union reports.
The union assures that its pressure tactics will not have a negative impact on the health of the animals.
For its part, the management of the Granby Zoo confirmed on Tuesday that its animal park, its aquatic park and its rides park remain open despite the strike, as do visitor services such as restaurants and shops.
In its own statement, management said it respects the right of striking employees “to express their concerns.” It said it is doing everything in its power to “quickly resolve this dispute through a mutually beneficial agreement for all parties involved.”