A parking ticket issued to an employee at one of the Pontiac’s health centres.
Allyson Beauregard
MRC PONTIAC &
A parking ticket issued to an employee at one of the Pontiac’s health centres.
Allyson Beauregard
MRC PONTIAC &
PONTIAC – Several Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) employees were surprised to find warning parking tickets left on their windshields, when they returned to their vehicles after work, recently; the warnings had been issued by the Fondation santé Gatineau, mandated by the CISSSO. Employees working at local CLSCs and long-term care residences also received warnings.
“Visitor: Please consider this as a polite warning. In case of a subsequent infraction, your vehicle may be towed without warning,” the ticket stated.
As of April 1, employees using health centre parking lots were required to register for a ‘parking pass’, providing their employee and license plate numbers. Fees for
parking are to be automatically deducted from their pay cheques based on the number of hours they work per week. Negotiations are still ongoing concerning fees for the PCH visitor’s lot and parking remains free for patients and visitors at
long-term residences and CLSCs.
However, according to Carole Menard, CSN union rep and a hospital employee, many workers are boycotting the parking scheme, including herself. “There’s no way I’m going to pay … there are a lot of people who didn’t apply for a pass,” she said, noting she now parks on the street. Many employees have done the same, while others continue to use the parking lots without a pass.
Menard said the boycott is not part of a union strategy. “The union can’t tell people what to do, but I told them what I would be doing,” she said, stating she is unaware of how the parking officer was able to differentiate between vehicles belonging to visitors and those of employees.
At press time, the CISSSO had not responded to the Journal’s numerous requests for more information.
