(Montreal) An agreement in principle was reached between Videotron and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, after nearly a year of lockout in Gatineau.
Both Videotron management and CUPE, which is affiliated with the FTQ, confirmed the information on Friday.
Nearly 215 workers were locked out at the Gatineau office on October 30, 2023, by management, after their rejection of the employer’s offer.
The question of the employer’s use of subcontracting was an essential element of the dispute.
CUPE announced on Friday that the content of the agreement in principle was currently submitted to an intermediate body. The draft agreement will then be presented to members during a general meeting; they will then be able to speak out.
The union did not want to reveal the content of the agreement, preferring to keep the news for its members, as is usually the case in such circumstances.
Federal Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon received the announcement with relief, himself referring to the fact that the employer had “used replacement workers” during the lockout.
“Since I became Minister of Labor, these negotiations have always been a top priority for me. These workers experienced a lockout and were replaced for far too long,” commented the minister.
“I hope that workers and their families return to normal quickly and the entire Outaouais can rejoice at the end of this saga,” he concluded.