Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery to reopen Sept. 11
Posted August 24, 2023 3:35 pm.
Last Updated August 24, 2023 4:00 pm.
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery is officially set to reopen on September 11.
About 70 per cent of the grounds have been cleaned, since workers returned after a six-month strike ended in July.
The Fabrique de Notre-Dame de Montreal confirmed the news.
More than 300 bodies are currently in cold storage, waiting to be buried.
On their website, they say, “we continue to prioritize services for bereaved families, such as cremation and burial in crypts and mausoleums. We are beginning to contact families waiting for a casket burial in the field on a first-come, first-served basis for appointments to make the necessary arrangements. Please be assured that we will always provide empathetic service and support to meet the expectations of our families during this difficult time of loss.”
BACKGROUND:
- Agreement in principle accepted for Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery
- Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery tentative agreement reached, but will remain closed for Father’s Day
- Gates of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery remain closed, families left unable to grieve loved ones
- Visitors unhappy with state of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery on Mother’s Day
An agreement in principle was accepted in July between the operations union and the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, to end a labour dispute that had been ongoing since January.
Confédération des syndicats nationaux members were back on the job July 17.
The new collective agreement will expire December 31, 2027.
“Many families have suffered for several months because they’ve been unable to complete their mourning or access the Cemetery to visit a loved one. We’re well aware of this and sincerely apologize for this situation,” said Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal on the cemetery’s website in July.
Union for striking cemetery office workers and management return to bargaining table
Six weeks after reaching an agreement with the union representing maintenance workers at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery-CSN, management negotiators finally returned to the bargaining table on Wednesday, Aug. 23 to continue talks with the union representing its striking office workers.
“The employer’s lack of urgency in resolving this conflict is alarming,” says Éric Dufault, president of the Syndicat des employé-es de bureau du Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (SEBCNDDN-CSN). “Our collective agreement expired more than five years ago. It’s high time that management showed a real willingness to reach an agreement and allow the cemetery to resume full operations.”
Although their comrades in the cemetery maintenance union have reached an agreement with management and are back on the job, several issues remain to be resolved in the negotiations with the office workers, including return-to-work conditions, worker training, staff cuts and wage increases consistent with rising inflation.
“Once again, the Fabrique Notre-Dame has shown a flagrant lack of consideration for its employees and the bereaved families who are still waiting for the cemetery to resume normal activities,” denounces Dominique Daigneault, President of the Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain-CSN.
“After fighting this battle for so many years, there is no question of our members giving up and accepting the setbacks the employer is demanding,” says Linda Tavolaro, General Secretary of the Fédération des employées et employés de services publics-CSN. “This is an extremely difficult situation for workers, and they have our full support.”
On strike since September 20, the Syndicat des employées et employés de bureau du Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges-CSN has 17 members and is affiliated with the Fédération des employées et employés de services publics-CSN.
