Quebec is raising its voice in the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery file, where a conflict has been going on “for too long” according to the Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet. On Sunday, long lines were seen in front of the cemetery, which exceptionally opened its doors for Mother’s Day.
“This labor dispute has been going on for too long and it is time for it to be resolved. I expect developments next week. Two experienced conciliators-mediators from my department are supporting the parties in order to reach an agreement as soon as possible,” Minister Boulet hammered home in a statement on Sunday.
He said he was “happy to learn that the families of the deceased in Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery will be able to go and pray on site on Mother’s Day”.
“Families have been denied access to the cemetery for a long time. As in any labor dispute, it is important for employees to be able to exercise their right to strike and for the parties to reach a solution together,” continued Mr. Boulet.
Meanwhile, several users lined up outside the cemetery at the start of the day, demanding an end to the labor dispute. “Mr. Legault, we ask you to put an end to this strike. Families are suffering”, “Burials are a human right”, could be read on signs held by citizens, who expressed their dissatisfaction on the spot.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The management had announced last Wednesday that it would welcome family members of the deceased on the occasion of Mother’s Day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The management had announced last Wednesday that it would welcome family members of the deceased on the occasion of Mother’s Day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Access to all the mausoleums will be possible, but despite all the efforts made by the managers since the day after the ice storm to clean and secure the site, several areas of the cemetery will be inaccessible to vehicles and pedestrians to ensure their safety. . All visitors are invited to carefully check the location of the location they wish to visit before their arrival,” however, warned the spokesman for the cemetery, Daniel Granger.
“Justified” frustration, says the union
Since last September, the office workers of the cemetery have been on strike. Field workers have been since January. Recently, users of the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery had also deplored that they were not able to bury the ashes of their deceased loved ones.
The main point of contention concerns the number of staff. The union accuses management, among other things, of wanting to lower the employment floor from 62 regular employees to 47. Last year, 26 employees – mainly maintenance positions – had already been laid off due to “financial problems “.
At the Union of Workers of the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, President Patrick Chartrand hopes, however, to settle the conflict “soon”. “We have met the conciliator a few times in recent weeks. He is in the process of building a settlement hypothesis to present to both parties. On our side, it went well. We just hope the other side does the same,” he noted on Sunday.
“I think that the conciliator will be able in the next few days to present something to the employer,” however affirmed Mr. Chartrand, in a more optimistic tone. “We agree with the minister: we must settle as quickly as possible,” he insisted.
Mr. Chartrand says he speaks to “exasperated” customers at the cemetery every day. “All my colleagues are on the picket lines. The frustration of customers, we see it and it is justified, they feel held hostage. It’s time we heard from the families, it’s time we settled this. »
Cleaning will resume on Monday
All of this comes as work to clean up and secure the site is due to resume on Monday, although in theory the site will be closed to visitors as long as the labor dispute persists.
According to figures put forward by cemetery management, “at least 75% of all the trees in the cemetery suffered damage” during the winter, especially during the recent ice storm.
“The most damaged trees are silver maples with 40 cm or more trunks, 90% of which suffered significant damage, particularly at the crown level. There are a large number of trees with at least one branch over 7.5 cm in diameter, broken and hanging in the crown,” notes the administration.
The latter is also concerned that “these branches present significant risks to the safety of people who circulate near the affected trees”. A hundred mature trees will also have to be felled “for safety reasons”.