Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery reopening March 31
Posted March 22, 2023 2:40 pm.
Canada’s largest cemetery, which completely closed its doors earlier this year when unionized workers went on strike, is expected to reopen by the end of the month.
The Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery, closed to the public since Jan. 12, is planning to open its gates March 31.
“With the arrival of spring, the 33 kilometres of roads will soon be able to accommodate family members of the deceased,” the cemetery said in a statement.
The union representing cemetery workers (STTCNDDN-CSN) says it has been without a contract since December 31, 2018. It has been negotiating a wage increase since November 2019.
The January strike followed the adoption of an unlimited general strike mandate in November.
WATCH: Grieving Montreal families can’t visit graves amid cemetery strike
Before the current strike, the cemetery was closed at one point on weekends and there were drastically reduced opening hours.
It put a strain on families wishing to visit their deceased loved ones.
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery employees on strike told CityNews they felt closing the cemetery to the public was a complete lack of respect to the families affected.
Access to mausoleum burial or cremation service was recently introduced by the cemetery. But there have been no field burials.
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“The Cemetery has been seeking, since the beginning of negotiations with the unions representing its operational and clerical employees, to reach agreements to treat its employees well while ensuring the continuity of the Cemetery for the benefit of the families of the deceased who rest in peace there,” Notre-Dame-des-Neiges said in a statement.
“A reasonable agreement must be based on the reality that the Fabrique Notre-Dame is a non-profit organization and that 100 per cent of the employees’ compensation is paid by the families of the deceased.”
The cemetery says operations and maintenance employees are paid around $70,000, “higher than the wages and benefits paid to many employees in the health, education, and public safety sectors.”
