Le Massif Ski Season: A Glimmer of Hope After Union & Employer Meeting

There may be hope for the ski season at a popular resort northeast of Quebec City. Management at Le Massif de Charlevoix and its striking unionized employees have been called to a meeting just one day after the resort announced the cancellation of its ski season. "At the request of the chief conciliator and the conciliator, the parties were invited to a meeting," president of Groupe Le Massif Claude Choquette wrote to Radio-Canada in a statement. "The urgency of reaching a resolution by the end of the week remains unchanged." On Monday, Le Massif shuttered for the season after failing to come to an agreement with unionized employees on a new contract. Union members have been on an unlimited general strike since Jan. 2 and rejected the employer's offer to renew the collective agreement on Monday. But Tuesday's announcement, suggesting that a meeting between both parties could take place, may offer a glimmer of hope for skiers. The union said it remained "hopeful" for a settlement. Management had said that to ensure safe skiing conditions, Le Massif had to continue artificial snow-making by the end of the month and operations needed to resume as of Tuesday. Since employees rejected both a contract offer and a proposal to go to arbitration, management said it made continuing the ski season unsustainable. The collective agreement for the 300 employees expired on Dec. 31, with wages a main point of contention during negotiations. In addition, the union also had demands regarding subcontracting, sick leave, safety and vacation time.