Developmental service workers strike in Port Colborne

Roughly 100 members who work with people with developmental disabilities represented by CUPE Local 2276 took strike action against Community Living Port Colborne-Wainfleet after contract negotiations broke down last week.

Workers say they have been frequently been forced to stay beyond their scheduled shift times for hours or even a full day because of staffing issues.

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The union’s vice president Cassie Bisson says members who are forced to stay late are often left with making emergency arrangements at home which could potentially lead to issues with clients due to fatigue when working for 24 hours.

CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn says despite a year of negotiation the decision to strike was not taken lightly. He says, “This is not just about our members. It really is about the services they provide. Our jobs are intimately bound up. So as hard as it is to make this decision this is a necessary decision to make in order to ensure the best possible quality supports for people with disabilities, here and anywhere across the province.”

Community Living CEO Joanna Mataya declined a request for an interview but did provide a written response to CHCH News and denied the claims people are routinely asked to stay 24 hours while acknowledging it did happen to two employees during a December snowstorm.

Mataya says they are proactively trying to reduce the incidence of stuck shifts adding, “The union has been clear they will strike unless we agree to their last-minute demands, including their impossible demand that managers backfill on top of their existing full-time duties, 5-days a week of on-call plus weekend on-call. Sadly, that means the strike will likely continue.”

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The union says they plan to continue escalating their job action until their demands are met.