PEEL A strike by 200 workers at the Peel Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) that began at 12:01 a.m. this morning, Tuesday, May 29th, could have been avoided, says Local 2842 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing community care access case managers (most are degreed nurses), and administrative staff at the Peel CCAC. We offered to send unresolved issues to binding arbitration by a third, neutral party, says Trudy Mulder-Hall, bargaining committee spokesperson. Peel CCAC management flatly refused the unions offer to go to arbitration a move that would have avoided the strike.
CUPE 2842 members provide access to nursing and other professional health care services, and home support services and long term care placement services, to residents of Brampton, Malton, Bolton, Caledon and Mississauga, and the entire Peel Region.
The last thing our members wanted was to go on strike, says Mulder-Hall. We care about the services we provide, and the clients who depend on us thats why we offered to go to arbitration. If Peel CCAC management had accepted the unions offer to send unresolved issues to binding arbitration by a third, neutral party, services would not have been disrupted.
By refusing our offer to submit to binding arbitration, Peel CCAC management has shown a disturbing lack of concern for the people who rely on our services, says Mulder-Hall. Now that we are on strike there will be no accountability in the system and our health care services will be in total chaos.
Outstanding issues include hours of work and benefits. Management wants to take complete control of our hours of work, making it impossible to juggle stressful jobs and still make room for family responsabilities, adds Mulder-Hall. The employers proposals would give management the right to dictate any schedule, including 12-hour shifts, weekends and evenings, with changes to the next days shift without proper notice. Our employer has mismanaged our benefits and now they want concessions that would hurt all employees.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Trudy Mulder-Hall, Bargaining Committee,
CUPE Local 2842
(905) 452-2842 (cell)
Paul Jordison, CUPE National Rep.,
Peel Area Office,
(905) 568-4664
Robert Lamoureux, CUPE Communications Rep.,
Ontario Regional Office
(416) 292-3999