Striking Bank of Canada security guards fined after noise complaints to mayor's office

Striking security guards were issued several tickets for blasting music. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

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Striking security guards at the Bank of Canada received several tickets last week after a member of Parliament complained to the mayor’s office about noise on the picket line, according to the union that represents the workers.

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The security guards, represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), have been on strike for more than 120 days, and throughout that period, they have blasted music and chanted through megaphones at the corner of Sparks and Kent streets.

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Last week, however, the noise proved too much for one unnamed parliamentarian. Alex Silas, the national vice-president of PSAC and a striking security guard, said the MP called Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s office to complain. Bylaw officers later gave the striking workers three tickets for noise violations with fines of about $500 each.

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“My response to that is that I hope (they) are also calling up the Bank of Canada governor and complaining there and telling Tiff Macklem to get back to the bargaining table to settle a fair deal,” Silas said.

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“The music has been at the same volume for the last four months, so it’s odd that there’s complaints now and that it’s a bylaw issue now.”

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Silas said that Jake Gravelle, the head of Ottawa bylaw, visited the picket line at the time to warn the striking security guards about making too much noise.

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In a statement, Gravelle said bylaw officers have been actively monitoring the situation and that “the city respects the right to lawful labour action and peaceful demonstration,” while ensuring that “municipal regualtions are applied fairly and consistently.”

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“Voluntary compliance was initially sought and when compliance was not achieved, charges were issued,” he said.

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Bank of Canada security guards are entering their fourth month of a strike. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

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Silas said that music and megaphones are “fairly standard” for picket lines and that the striking workers were not doing anything out of the ordinary.

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“As a matter of fact, mostly we’ve been getting compliments on our music,” he said.

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In a statement, Sutcliffe’s chief of staff Mathieu Gravel said that complaints were “treated in the same way as every other bylaw issue that is raised with our office: it was simply referred to Bylaw for their awareness and review.”

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“The Mayor’s office receives hundreds of bylaw-related complaints every year. We are prohibited from and play no role in how bylaws are enforced by the team at Bylaw and Regulatory Services.”

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The Bank of Canada and PSAC have been deadlocked in their negotiations on a number of issues, including whether overtime hours should be reduced. The bank is looking for cost-saving measures as it looks to implement cuts that mirror those of the federal government.

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The strike, which has stretched into its fourth month, has forced other Bank of Canada employees to work from home.

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The Bank of Canada declined to comment on the noise complaints that led to the tickets. An unnamed spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the bank “respects Security Officers’ right to strike and continues to negotiate in good faith toward an agreement for the Ottawa bargaining unit.”

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