More than 4,000 people live in apartments and townhouses owned by Peterborough Housing Corporation, PHC, and serviced by members of CUPE 504. Those workers, who operate one of Peterborough County’s most critical safety nets, took the unprecedented step of voting to strike.
Members of CUPE 504 working at PHC include custodians, maintenance workers, and administrative staff. They are responsible for cleaning properties, preparing units for new residents, and performing minor repairs, while also serving as a key point of contact for tenants. Behind the scenes, they connect residents to services, calculate rents, and manage tenant ledgers.
Despite skyrocketing living costs, PHC has offered workers annual wage increases of just 1.5% while also seeking concessions, including the elimination of flexible work arrangements.
“People used to stay in these jobs for their entire career. Now there are only a handful of workers with long term experience,” said Jesse Horrigan, CUPE 504 President. “PHC isn’t a place where people can build a career anymore. It’s become a stepping stone that workers leave as soon as they can because they feel undermined and undervalued by management.”
According to CUPE 504, the workplace climate has deteriorated sharply in recent years. Members have filed 10 grievances since January alone.
Workers say chronic understaffing is already affecting service for residents. PHC’s largest high-rise property has been without a full-time custodian on site for 16 months, leading to a growing backlog of cleaning and maintenance issues. At the same time, the number of management positions has continued to increase, with roughly one manager for every two frontline workers.
“People took these jobs to serve our communities. This group has never taken a strike vote before, but they’ve never faced this kind of crisis,” said Horrigan. “Families, seniors, and residents living in PHC housing deserve better, and that starts with properly supporting the workers who keep these homes running.”
The two sides are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on April 29.
