LTE – Open Letter to the Mayor and City Council of Cornwall

We are the presidents of each of the unions representing municipal employees across the City of Cornwall. We come together to express our frustration with City of Cornwall’s continuous and intentional obstruction of efforts to resolve workplace issues without resorting to expensive arbitration. We are unaware of any responsible municipality in Ontario that has a labour relations policy that sends all issues to costly arbitration. This attitude by Cornwall City managers is neither responsible management of taxpayer’s money, nor a constructive approach to dispute resolution. Morale across the entire City has reached a new low.

Together we call upon the new mayor and new city council to intervene to find practical solutions to these ongoing problems. The City cannot abandon its responsibilities to the public and its workforce by simply refusing to address workplace issues. We urge the mayor and council to speak with us for the purpose of renewing our labour-management relationships, with a commitment to good faith efforts to resolve issues locally.

On behalf of Cornwall’s Municipal Workers:
Cornwall Professional Fire Fighters Association
Amalgamated Transit Workers Union Loc. 946
Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 5734 (Paramedics)
Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 234 (Outside Workers)
Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3251 (Inside Workers)