Parties face legal lockout or strike
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4325 and the Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County will enter mediation talks on April 4.
The parties will receive assistance from a provincial mediator as they face a legal lockout or strike deadline on April 9 at 12:01 a.m.
CUPE Local 4325 represents 130 social service workers at the Ontario-based organization.
Their previous contract expired on March 31, 2015.
“Our members just want a fair contract so we can continue to help at-risk children and their families,” said Cathy Thomas, president of CUPE 4325.
“The last thing we want is a service disruption that would further affect our clients.”
According to the union, its members rejected the employer’s most recent contract offer after discovering senior management received a 9 per cent wage increase at the same time employees were mandated to accept a zero per cent wage increase in their last agreement.
The information on senior management’s wage increases came from the 2014 Sunshine List. The substantial raises stood in stark contrast to frontline workers, the union said.
