Warning message

Please note that this page is from our archives. There may be more up-to-date content about this topic on our website. Use our search engine to find out.
Ituna: Striking group home workers in Ituna swapped picket signs for giant-sized hands to parade through the town to urge local residents to lend them a hand to get the employer back to the bargaining table.

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.