(Granby) The management of the Granby Zoo has locked out its approximately 130 employees who gave themselves an unlimited strike mandate last week and who were due to return to work on Monday after a strike of nearly ten days.
In a statement released Monday morning, park management argued that the lockout “provides stability for the welfare of the animals” and “provides predictability for managers who are currently providing the work for striking employees.”
According to the president and CEO of the Granby Zoo, Paul Gosselin, the threat of an unlimited strike made it “impossible to operate the site effectively under the threat of a service interruption at any time.”
The Granby Zoo remains open despite this lockout, management assured. However, “it is possible that the strike will have slight impacts on the experience” of visitors, which is why the admission price has been reduced from $59.99 to $39.99.
The National Union of Employees of the Granby Zoological Society, affiliated with the CSN, announced last Friday that the unlimited strike option, which was to be launched at the appropriate time, had received the support of 91% of the members who were gathered in a general meeting.
The current negotiation concerns the renewal of the collective agreement of approximately 130 veterinary and animal care technicians, naturalist-interpreters, mechanics, carpenters, as well as administrative staff. The employment contract of the employees concerned expired on December 31.
Workers held their first day of strike action on July 9, before beginning a series of strikes on July 20. The walkouts took place under a ten-day strike mandate that had been adopted earlier this month.
The union members are demanding greater job stability. They also want to facilitate the work-family-study balance, as well as promote the attraction and retention of staff. For its part, the Granby Zoo emphasizes that it submitted a global offer on July 22 to the employees involved and says it hopes to “quickly reach an agreement that is mutually beneficial for all parties concerned.”