Maison Fraternité workers in Ottawa join OPSEU

Salaries, shift issues, quality of care cited by employees: Union

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) continued to grow after 61 staff members at Maison Fraternité in Ottawa voted to become members of the union on Dec. 18.

The agency provides treatment and rehabilitation services for francophones with addictions and mental-health issues.

"OPSEU will now represent all non-managerial staff at Maison Fraternité," said Ed Arvelin, chair of OPSEU's mental health and addictions division. "That includes psychotherapists, intervenors, and educators, as well as support staff."

"Workers were looking for compensation that better reflected their qualifications and experience. They were seeking a voice on issues like shift allocation, hiring, and promotion. Finally, staff were concerned that clients were not getting the best-possible services and wanted a say on the quality of the care they delivered," said Arvelin.

When asked why Maison Fraternité workers chose OPSEU, Arvelin said that OPSEU was the clear choice from the beginning.

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