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Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2017
CUPE fi les
unfair labour
practice
complaint
TORONTO — Lawyers for
the Canadian Union of Public
Employees (CUPE) Local 2073
— representing 227 striking
workers at the Canadian
Hearing Society (CHS) in
Toronto — filed an unfair
labour practice complaint April
21 with the Ontario Labour
Relations Board (OLRB).
The workers have been on
strike since March 6.
In its submissions to the
OLRB, the union contended
the employer had violated the
Ontario Labour Relations Act
in multiple ways.
The act says where there is
a bargaining agent — a union
— representing workers, the
employer may not attempt to
"direct deal" with individual
employees. The CHS did so on
April 7, when it couriered 227
individual offers to striking
workers at their home address-
es, according to the union.
"Repeatedly, the CHS has
sought to prolong this strike
rather than resolve it," said
Barbara Wilker-Frey, CUPE
national representative. "They
took over three weeks to come
back to the table after the strike
began."
The union's complaint out-
lines that in addition to direct
dealing, the CHS also shared
information with striking
workers that it never tabled
in negotiations. The CHS also
sent out false financial infor-
mation to employees, which
differs from figures used at the
bargaining table, said CUPE.
The 227 workers have not
had a wage increase in four
years, according to the union.
They are counsellors, lit-
eracy instructors, audiologists,
speech language pathologists,
interpreters/interpreter train-
ers, clerical support, program
coordinators, program assis-
tants, and information tech-
nology specialists, said the
union.
SMILE of St.
Malo workers
ratify contract
ST. MALO, Man. — United
Food and Commercial Work-
ers Canada (UFCW) workers at
SMILE of St. Malo in Manitoba
ratified a new two-year agree-
ment April 20.
SMILE of St. Malo is an orga-
nization that provides support
and services to individuals with
intellectual disabilities.
Members will receive wage in-
creases of two per cent each year
of the deal, according to UFCW.
In addition, members receive
an increase to sick-time payout,
a 20-year seniority premium,
and increases to the existing pre-
miums for long-standing em-
ployees, said the union.
Community
living centre
workers sign
agreement
CAMPBELLFORD, Ont. —
Members of the Ontario Pub-
lic Service Employees Union
(OPSEU), Local 316, ratified
an agreement April 23 that was
reached with Community Liv-
ing Campbellford/Brighton in
Ontario bringing a month-long
strike to an end.
The key issue of personal ve-
hicles being a condition of em-
ployment was settled, and work-
ers will not be required to use
their own cars for work-related
duties.
Photo:
Rafael
Marchante
(Reuters)
LABOUR LENS
Police of cers protest for better work conditions near the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon, on April 20.
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