Union refuses arbitration in Olymel dispute; mediator to blitz by Sunday

The Olymel facility in Anjou is seen Tuesday, March 24, 2020 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

QUEBEC CITY — In the dispute between Olymel and workers at the Vallée-Jonction plant, the union is refusing arbitration, and Labour and Social Solidarity Minister Jean Boulet is calling for a blitz by the special mediator by Sunday.

Martin Maurice, president of the workers' union, said in a news release that the union told the minister "we are refusing arbitration because we know that our members will certainly not want a settlement imposed by an arbitrator after having spent nearly four months on strike."

"For our part, we prefer to negotiate because we are still convinced that a negotiated tentative agreement is still within our reach, and within a short time frame. Despite what Jean Boulet thinks, the parties are not that far apart," said Maurice.

Boulet said on Aug. 26 that he wanted an arbitrator to end the dispute. Both parties had until 5 p.m. to accept the minister's proposal.

Boulet wrote on Twitter around 5:45 p.m., translated from French: "The @CSN union has refused. I'm asking the special mediator to blitz the parties to reach an agreement by Sunday."

The minister felt the arbitration was the best approach to resolving a dispute that has gone on "for too long." The strike began on April 28. The issues in dispute were wages, hours of work and the length of the collective agreement.

"When the minister refers to arbitration, it ends the dispute," he said. "So, we end the labour dispute, we review the return of protocol at work, and the strike is over.

At a press briefing, Paul Beauchamp, Olymel's senior vice-president, confirmed that the employer had accepted the arbitration proposal: "Let's face it, it's the best way to break the deadlock."

On Aug. 24, Olymel presented an ultimatum to workers, saying it would abolish the evening shift, or 500 positions, if an agreement was not reached by Sunday evening.

The layoffs would not take place "as long as the union agrees to the arbitration process," Beauchamp said.

The Olymel executive denied that he used threats to achieve his goals.

"We can't afford to bluff. We've learned that over the years. Sometimes you make decisions and they're tough calls."

The union had a different view of events earlier this week.

"This is not the first time that Olymel has decided to threaten its employees with closure and has tried to divide union members by raising fears of job cuts," said Maurice. 'It's been more than 50 years that slaughterhouse employers have used these contemptuous strategies for their workforce.'

--This story was originally reported in French by The Canadian Press on Aug. 26.