Pierrefonds-Roxboro workers claim they were ordered off floodwork to meet Denis Coderre
'It was a waste of time,' says blue collar union after employees called away for pizza lunch with mayor
Some blue collar workers are frustrated and annoyed after they were called from their work in flooded areas of Pierrefonds-Roxboro Wednesday for a surprise pizza lunch with Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.
Two borough workers, who spoke with CBC anonymously because they feared repercussions at work, said they received a call on their radios from a supervisor around 10:50 a.m. .
"Our boss told us to stop everything and go back to the office," said one worker.
They say they were told to show up at Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School, which has been set up as an information centre for flood victims, no later than 11:15 a.m.
Without any other details, they packed up and left their worksite in one of the areas hardest hit by flooding.
"We all got there without knowing what we were supposed to do or hear," one worker said.
The municipal employees say about 150 blue-collar workers from various boroughs convened in the cafeteria of the school and waited until Coderre walked in around 11:30 a.m., much to their surprise.
They say Coderre gave a short speech, which was followed by pizza, then the mayor made the rounds, shaking hands with workers.
Goodwill gesture, mayor's office says
CBC spoke to some blue collar workers who said the gesture was appreciated.
Marc-André Gosselin, a spokesperson for the mayor, told CBC in a statement that Coderre visited during the workers' scheduled lunch hour to "encourage and congratulate blue collar workers for their work and dedication to the victims."
"We find it sad that in difficult times, some people would choose to play politics," said Gosselin.
Montreal's blue collar workers union has been at odds for years with the Coderre administration.
Back in 2014, city workers stormed City Hall as a way to protest municipal pension plan reform.
A year later, blue collar workers were forced back to work after a move the city considered to be an "illegal work stoppage."
The blue collar workers' current contract expires in December 2017.
Well-meaning, but shortsighted?
A union spokesperson, André Lepage, said that while Coderre's message of congratulations was appreciated, the way it was done was shortsighted.
"Some blue-collar workers even said, 'You could have congratulated us after citizens were safe,'" Lepage said.
He said the city employees lost at least an hour of work during what he describes as an emergency situation to save residents' homes.
One worker told CBC that Coderre could have visited them on the ground or given his message over their radio transmitters, so that they could continue helping residents affected by the flood.
"Personally, it was a bit of a waste of time," said the worker. "He could have waited until after — he could have sent his message tens of thousands of ways."
"They are working crazy hours," said Lepage. "For them, it was a waste of time. They didn't know why they needed that congratulations then."
The move was also criticized by Pierrefonds residents trying to protect their homes.
"They should never have pulled them off. An hour is a long time when you're doing flood relief," said Klaus Bodnik.
"They are spread thin, there's not enough of them, and they are doing what they can."