By Mark Squibb/September 9, 2022
CUPE 2099 local President Ken Turner has defended picketers’ decision to picket councillors’ homes saying that if councillors won’t come cross the picket line at City Hall, than picketers will bring the picket line to them.
“We did have picketers at councillors’ residences because the councillors were not at work, they chose to do their council meetings at home and not at the City Hall,” said Turner. “So, if they are going to work from home, and not come to City Hall, where the picketers are, then we’ll go to where they’re doing their work, which is at their home.”
Turner said the picketing outside councillors’ homes has been effective.
“It’s got councillors talking to their managers again, and hopefully we’ll see some movement and we’ll get back to the table,” said Turner.
When asked if the tactic might intimidate or antagonize neighbouring residents, Turner said he didn’t believe that to be the case — though he allowed it might be a nuisance.
“We’re not around the other residents, we’re not in front of other people’s homes,” said Turner. “But yes, I could see that it would be irritating, but if the councillors are not going to go to work, and leave us with no other alternative, then we’ll legally picket, because it is a legal, secondary picket, and yes, residents are going to be disturbed, and I would think if they’re neighbours, they’re going to ask their councillors to go back to work, because that’s where they belong.”
Turner acknowledged that yes, it was the picketers themselves who chose not to show up to work some ten weeks ago, and instead hit the picket lines.
“Our concern is getting our workers back to work, and if council won’t come to us at the worksite, then I guess we’ll go to their worksite— which in this case is their homes,” concluded Turner.
