The employer, Deer Park Villa, refuses to resume contract negotiations until the workers cave on seniority rights.
The 27 CUPE members at Deer Park Villa walked off the job June 3 after the employer refused to bargain fair seniority language. The workers have been trying to negotiate their first collective agreement for more than a year.
We have tremendous support from local residents, says CUPE president Cyndi Salynuik. We thought the parade of hands would be a colourful way to call on residents to give us a hand to settle this lengthy dispute.
The strikers and supporters carried more than 40 giant-sized hands through the town.
Deer Park Villa operates three group homes and an activity centre in Ituna for adults with mental and physical challenges.