After two years trying to negotiate a first contract and being forced to strike, 42 CUPE brothers and sisters working at the Good Shepherd Shelter in Toronto returned to work victorious on November 4.
Contracting out was the key issue at the table. But after four days on the picket lines, the members of CUPE 3789-03 got what they wanted: a $1,000.00 signing bonus, wage harmonization, 3 per cent increases in the second and third years of their contract, improved vacation and sick leave, as well as a group RSP with employer contributions. Most importantly, they got language prohibiting contracting out.