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“We the undersigned are calling on Councillor Rick Chiarelli to immediately resign from his position as Councillor for College Ward on the City of Ottawa’s Municipal Council.”

Chiarelli denies all allegations and vows to challenge the jurisdiction of the integrity commissioner examining the allegations.

He has not attended a council meeting since Nov. 6.

He appeared at the Nov. 6 council meeting after missing meetings in September and October.

Chiarelli was refused a requested leave of absence from council.

A councillor vacates a seat after missing three consecutive months of council meetings. Chiarelli’s next deadline is February, however there is a possibility he’ll appear Wednesday because the city budget is before council. When he last appeared at city hall he told media he’s never missed a budget meeting in his 30 years as a councillor.

Véronique Prévost, vice-president of Unifor Local 6004 and one of the petition’s organizers, said the petition was created to maintain pressure on the councillor in this “unacceptable situation.”

“This affair resonates with lots of folks (who are) victims of harassment,” Prévost said. She noted that the petition could be useful in any future lobbying efforts on similar issues.

The petition says the councillor’s conduct “is clearly in violation of the City of Ottawa’s Code of Conduct for Members of Council, and its Violence and Harassment in the Workplace Policy.”

Organizers note the “allegations have brought to light the precarious and vulnerable situation of the staff of Ottawa city councillors and the need for immediate action.”