QUEBEC CITY – Régis Labeaume, mayoral candidate in Quebec City, is being served legal notice to stop verbally attacking unions.
“There’s interference, bad faith, defamation, you name it,” said SCFP Union spokesperson Eddy Jiomphe.
The blue-collar union is threatening to go to court over Labeaume’s recent remarks municipal employees are fat cats.
“He’s encouraging the population to revolt against us,” added Jiomphe. “We’re tired of being berated.”
But economists argued Labeaume is right to be tackling pension plan deficits. The recent D’Amours report showed dips in the economy have made public pension plans all over Quebec unsustainable. It’s estimated Quebec municipalities that have determined contribution pensions have a combined deficit of $5 billion.The report recommended employees up their contribution to help cities save millions in pension costs. Something Montreal has done, in part.
Blue-collar workers in Montreal recently signed a deal with the administration agreeing to up their contribution to their pension plans to help the city save $6.3 million in pension costs over the next five years. The mayor of Montreal said it was the first step in helping the metropolis reduce its pension costs by $50 million.
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“People in Montreal, they have to know that the total bill of pension plan deficits will be paid by the tax bill of the people there, and we’ve decided here in Quebec City that it’s not going to happen here. They have to pay half of it because it’s their own pension plan,” explained Labeaume at a news conference.
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Labeaume said the only solution is for employees to share the payments 50-50, or else workers who don’t even have pension plans will be forced to shell out for their neighbours. Labeaume said other mayors face the same problem but are too afraid to tackle it.
“I would love to put some sexy issues on the table, but first of all, we have to solve that problem,” he said.
Labeaume’s political opponent agreed, but said negotiation is key.
“I believe we have to be respectful,” said David Lemelin. “I think we can negotiate, the employees said they’re open to negotiate but they’re sitting at the table alone, the mayor’s not there.”
Labeaume believes a landslide victory on November 3rd will help him obtain provincial support to reform cities’ contracts with unions.
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