The union representing City of Chestermere workers alleges that six staff members were unjustly terminated, and they believe that an attempt to dismantle the union during contract negotiations is linked to the city’s troubled management. The Canadian Union for Public Employees (CUPE) claims that four employees from the legislative services department and two from the planning department were let go without valid reasons. CUPE is pursuing settlements for these employees, who reportedly do not wish to return due to a toxic work environment. City officials, including Mayor Jeff Colvin, and City Director of Corporate Services Kim Wallace, deny these allegations. Wallace, who faces an assault charge unrelated to these issues, asserts that CUPE is making false claims and that the union is worried about potential decertification. CUPE argues that any decertification efforts are initiated by the employer and that the presence of human resources staff at a decertification meeting would be illegal. The union expects a member vote on the city’s first collective bargaining agreement in the coming weeks, despite ongoing delays in negotiations. Mayor Colvin responded to the union’s claims by accusing the reporter of dishonesty and did not provide further clarification.
Source
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/chestermere-battles-with-union-over-recent-dismissals