Lockout of Yellow Pages workers in Quebec ‘disgraceful’ and ‘complete surprise’: union

A union official is denouncing the lockout of 130 sales representatives by Yellow Pages on Monday night as “disgraceful” and “a complete surprise.”

Christian Leonard, head of the affected unit in the Canadian Office and Professional Employees union, says the move is designed to break the union and try to obtain concessions.

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Leonard says Yellow Pages has not presented the union with a final offer and he would not provide details about demands presented by either side.

READ MORE: Yellow Pages locks out 130 unionized sales representatives in Quebec

Seeking a strike mandate is on the agenda of a general assembly on Thursday.

The Montreal-based company said Monday it had no choice but to impose a lockout, accusing the union of being inflexible.

The company announced a plan in January to cut roughly 500 jobs across Canada in an effort to reduce spending and improve its results amid lower digital and print revenues.