NORTH BAY, Ont. – The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 188 long-term care workers at Casselholme East Nipissing Home for the Aged, will appeal to an arbitrator to achieve a fair contract after talks with management failed to reach a collective agreement.
“Casselholme management negotiators were fixated on forcing 12-hour shifts on RPNs,” said Henri Giroux, president of CUPE Local 146. “Not only would these shifts be hard on our members – the employer refused to rule out layoffs as a result of the change. There’s no way we would could agree to such a hardship.”
The union met with the employer in August and November, in the presence of a provincial labour conciliation officer, but those talks failed to reach a settlement. CUPE applied for arbitration on November 23rd, and is now waiting for hearing dates in 2007.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Henri Giroux
CUPE 146 President
705-494-9302
Colette Proctor
CUPE National Representative
705-474-9765
Robert Lamoureux
CUPE Communications
416-292-3999