Six months after calling on Supportive Housing in Peel (SHiP) to “get serious” and bargain a fair contract with its workers, negotiators for Local 966 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 966) have requested a No Board report from the Ministry of Labour.
“We’ve been trying for six months to get SHiP to bargain seriously. Today, we’re left with no alternative but to seek a No Board report,” said Mary Jo Falle, president of CUPE 966.
Local 966 represents about 120 workers at SHiP who provide a wide range of front line services to Peel residents who face a variety of challenges and barriers to stable, secure housing.
A labour disruption can take place 17 days from the date the Ministry of Labour issues a No Board report. The employer and the union also have access to the assistance of a provincially-appointed mediator during the No Board period.
“Our members understand what’s at stake to the people and families who depend on SHiP. It’s why we want to negotiate a collective agreement that’s fair and protects the services people in Peel depend upon,” said Falle.
“We hope the assistance of the mediator, along with the urgency of a deadline, focuses SHiP into finally getting serious about sitting down and negotiating an agreement that all parties can live with,” she added.
Negotiators for Local 966 have been making themselves available for bargaining throughout the No Board period which is expected to end at midnight on July 27.
For more information, please contact:
Mary Jo Falle
President, CUPE 966
905-502-6599
Kevin Wilson
CUPE Communications
416-821-6641