The City of Saint John says it was successful in obtaining an injunction against CUPE Local 486 members from blocking city vehicles amid the ongoing strike now in its third week.
On Wednesday, the city suspended garbage collection, due to illegal strike activity, it said. It posted pictures to social media and its website showing striking workers standing in front of garbage trucks.
That led them to ask a judge for an injunction.
“The order will better enable the city to deliver critical services to taxpayers during the strike, including garbage,” the city said in a statement.
The injunction prevents CUPE from blocking any highway, erecting barriers, and encouraging others to conduct similar activities on Whitebone Way and the Crane Mountian Landfill entrance.
The union maintains it has never unlawfully blocked a road or city vehicle.
“I know the city put out a post yesterday on their Facebook page saying that the union was conducting illegal strike activity, which is not the case,” said Brittany Doyle, CUPE Local 486 president, on Wednesday. “We have been well within our legal right to picket those assets and that’s what we have been doing. We’ve been fully compliant with police and there has been absolutely no unlawful activity in that area.”
Saint John Police Chief Robert Bruce confirmed to Global News there were no arrests made and striking workers were cooperating with police to get out of the way.
The other issue at hand was that some of the sanitation workers have a clause in their collective agreement indicating members do not have to cross a picket line. Court of King’s Bench Justice Darrell Stephanson said in court on Wednesday he wanted to find a balance between the lawful right to strike and maintaining garbage collection for health and safety reasons.
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“Get the garbage trucks running while not interfering with the union’s ability to lawfully picket,” he said.
The legal counsel of both sides, Jamie Eddy and Joel Michaud, discussed the matter outside the courtroom and both parties consented.
CUPE has asked the city to retract and apologize for statements made publicly about “illegal strike activity.”
Meanwhile, both parties met over the weekend, according to Doyle.
“We met on Friday evening for about eight hours. We also met on Sunday afternoon for approximately four hours — we did exchange proposals back and forth,” she said. “Both sides came down or moved their proposals a little, but we have not yet reached a deal.”
In a further update late Wednesday, indications were that the union and city were close to an agreement.
“We are very close to reaching an agreement,” she said in a media release. “Unfortunately, instead of finalizing a contract the city is attempting to again mislead the public and attempt to take away their right to strike.”
The City of Saint John did not provide comment on Wednesday. The order is in place until Oct. 3.
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