The union, which represents workers in Black River-Matheson in northern Ontario, said two striking equipment operators were hit by a truck crossing the picket line last week.
In a press release, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1490 claimed that on Wednesday, February 14, two different workers were hit by two different replacement workers while driving a pickup truck as they tried to cross a cordon. It said that this was the second and third incident in which motor vehicles "** attacked 14 municipal workers in Heihe-Mathesen", who have been on legal strike since January 22 after being blocked by their employers last fall.
The workers were locked out in October 2023 due to a labor dispute, which was later ended by the municipality and led to a strike. A lockout occurs when an employer prevents workers from entering a worksite and suspends wages in an attempt to accept certain terms.
The union rejected a recent offer of a 14 per cent pay rise over four years, claiming the town wanted a two-tier wage system with lower wages and less job security for new hires.
Amid the ongoing controversy, two township administrators have been indicted and will appear in court next month in connection with anti-worker violence.
The town's director of infrastructure services, James Mousseau, faces charges of criminal harassment and dangerous driving of a motor vehicle after allegedly speeding up in front of a stop sign and nearly hitting a worker who was locked out.
Aimee Chatealaine, a financial administrative assistant, faces charges of armed assault and criminal harassment.
In addition, the dispute led the town to cancel a meeting scheduled for February 13.
In an announcement, the town said it was invoking the 2020-07 Procedural Charter, which allows for meetings to be canceled due to unforeseen events or public safety concerns.
"Ensuring the safety of council members, staff and the public is of paramount concern to us in light of the rally plans of the 1490 local unions, as well as the escalation of tensions on social platforms," the notice said. ”
Therefore, as a precautionary measure, the regular meeting scheduled for February 13, 2024 was cancelled. ”
A source affiliated with the union told CP24On Wednesday, among the striking workers who tried to cross the cordon, the striking workers were allegedly hit by a car and no one was injured.