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AuroraYellow Brick House Shelter workers, facing a hard-line employer determined to undermine their basic job protections, will get a big boost this morning as hundreds of York Region municipal workers attend a rally in support of the shelter counsellors and outreach staff.

For months, the 40 Yellow Brick House shelter and community outreach counsellors have endeavoured to negotiate fairly with their employer. They have tried repeatedly to reach a collective agreement, and avoid a labour dispute that would disrupt services for women fleeing abusive relationships. However, the workers are determined to fight managements attempt to re-organize the workplace by terminating nine shelter counsellors (who are all coincidently union activists) and replacing them with new hires with specialized degrees.

Its evident from the bullying tactics the Yellow Brick House management is using, that they think that the 40 shelter workers are out there on their own and that targeting union activists for firing will go unnoticed by the broader labour community.

Well, that couldnt be further from the truth. There are over 3,000 members in Local 905 and the shelter workers have our unconditional support. This employer will soon see union solidarity in action, up close and personal, says Kim Perry, the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 905.

Yellow Brick House management has stymied the bargaining process at every turn. In November, they walked away from negotiations and immediately filed for a no board report that put them in a legal lockout position. During the holiday season, management applied to the Ontario Labour Board for a forced supervised final offer vote and late in the day Monday, cancelled two days of negotiations scheduled for January 6th and 7th.

  • Who: York Region municipal workers, members of CUPE Local 905
  • What: Rally in support of 40 shelter workers, member of CUPE Local 3636
  • When: Tuesday, January 6, 2004 at 10:00 a.m.
  • Where: 37 Wellington Street East, Aurora

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For more information please contact:
Stella Yeadon, CUPE Communications Representative
(416) 578-8774