JASON SETNYK
CUPE 3251 members held an informational picket outside the City of Cornwall’s Resident Café at the Benson Centre on a snowy evening, a few days after council was presented with the draft 2026 budget. The union said the city recently issued 14 layoff notices to CUPE “inside workers,” and plans to redistribute duties among remaining staff-changes it warned could mean reduced service levels and longer wait times.
The weather kept attendance low inside the engagement session. Outside, about 50 CUPE members rotated through the picket line, holding signs, and offering free donuts, while urging residents to ask questions during budget deliberations.
CUPE 3251 President Roxanne Rivette-Bancroft said the local has seen 14 cuts, adding the city has signalled there could be reductions affecting other groups as well. She said budget figures can be confusing, noting recent discussion has also included non-union positions and separate staffing concerns at Glen Stor Dun Lodge, where she said earlier proposed reductions were characterized as service reductions rather than layoffs, and later reversed after union advocacy.
Rivette-Bancroft said the union’s central concern is how fewer staff will affect front-line services. She pointed to the loss of a coordinator position at the marina and said the impact could be felt by boaters. She also highlighted the elimination of five case manager positions in human services, which she said supported residents dealing with housing and homelessness. “That’s going to be felt for sure,” she said.
She said negotiations resumed after talks stalled following the layoff notices, and another round is planned in January. CUPE 3251 has a 90 per cent strike mandate. Rivette-Bancroft noted affected employees have contract rights, including bumping provisions. According to a CUPE media advisory, “City of Cornwall workers are among the lowest paid compared to similar-sized municipalities across southeastern Ontario”.
Rivette-Bancroft also questioned whether cuts tied to provincially funded roles or tourism-related grants will materially improve the city’s bottom line, and urged a closer look at capital projects and cost overruns.
Krista Laing, CUPE Ontario Municipal Workers Committee Chair, said municipal employees “love the services they provide,” but being pushed toward a strike mandate is hard on workers who want a fair deal and respectful treatment. She called layoffs close to the holiday season a major concern, and described issuing notices days before negotiations as “disrespectful,” arguing it undermines trust needed at the bargaining table.
Mayor Justin Towndale, at the Resident Café, said he has spoken with workers and that communication remains open. Asked whether more job losses are expected, Towndale said, “As far as I’m concerned, what needs to be done is done,” adding that council will decide next steps through motions during budget deliberations.
On the possibility of further job cuts during budget deliberations, Mayor Justin Towndale said he has kept communication lines open with employees, but that the next steps now rest with council. He said councillors will bring forward motions and any impacts will depend on what passes. Towndale added that he would then decide whether to approve the budget, noting council can override a mayoral veto, and said it remained unclear whether any motions would propose additional cuts to positions or funding.
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