By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Nearly 400 community and social workers in Peterborough, Lindsay, and Haliburton walked off the job on Monday (May 25), and joined a coordinated province-wide strike of 4,500 public sector employees.
Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 358 are striking against Community Living Trent Highlands. The workers are demanding a 6.5 per cent retroactive wage increase and a strict “no layoffs” guarantee following the repeal of Ontario’s unconstitutional Bill 124, which capped public sector wage increases at one per cent.
Direct provincial ministry staff received financial remedies after the wagecap legislation was struck down, but community-based public service sectors were excluded.
“Because the cost of living keeps going up, the time is now,” local union president Jessica Bushey told The Highlander.
The Local 358 president said that even top-earning, long-term staff who have specialized degrees are having to take on secondary jobs or use food banks to make ends meet.
“We have members going to the food bank to not only pick up stuff for the folks we support because they can’t afford it either, but neither can we,” Bushey said. “There’s something wrong here, right?”
The union boss noted that, according to the financial accountability officer, her sector faces an ongoing $1.5 billion provincial funding shortfall. Bushey said workers report that the underfunding directly impacts vulnerable residents, adding that some supported individuals are left with food budgets of just $14 a day.
In a statement to The Highlander, the provincial government said it has “made historic investments in the development services sector, including nearly $4 billion this year, an increase of $1.6 billion since we took office in 2018 to provide people with access to the services they need, when they need them.
“While collective bargaining is a matter between the employer and the union, we expect every service provider to have strong contingency plans to protect residents and ensure their care is never disrupted,” a spokesperson said.
The labour dispute faced a critical deadline this week, when Community Living Trent Highlands forced a final offer vote through the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Local union leadership fiercely urged members to vote down the proposal.
“They’re trying to get us off the strike line, but their deal comes with layoffs,” Bushey said. “We shouldn’t have to fund a wage increase with the blood of our own members.”
Bushey said she’s concerned about the health and safety of the vulnerable people the workers care for during the job action, noting that the specialized care is being handled by temporary workers.
OPSEU launched a family landing page on its website to support affected households, and the results of the OLRB vote will be posted on the local’s public Facebook page.
