Sault hospital workers picket to press for new collective agreement
Some Sault Area Hospital workers who have been without a collective agreement for more than a year and a half were on the picket line Wednesday.
Unifor Local 1359 represents 15 staff, including dispatch, electricians, and maintenance at the hospital that are employed by EllisDon Facilities.
The union held an information picket outside the hospital's main entrance, hoping to gain community support as the workers aren't legally allowed to strike.
Unifor 1359 President Cathy Humalamaki said wages are a huge issue. The two sides have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since July 2022.
Humalamaki said EllisDon refuses to budge on a pay increase of one per cent.
She said the company is acting as if the workers fall under Bill 124, which prevents the increase of hospital staff wages above one per cent.
But the staff are not health care workers, she said, and the bill does not apply to them.
“EllisDon should not be hiding behind Bill 124 that was put out for hospital workers,” Humalamaki said.
“Bill 124 has already been deemed unconstitutional and we still continue that fight with our hospital workers. But our maintenance guys shouldn’t even be under that umbrella.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
She said pay for those staff is well below industry standards, making it difficult to attract and retain employees.
For example, Humalamaki said when the hospital lost two plumbers, some of those responsibilities were pushed to untrained workers.
"They're expecting our maintenance to do the work of a skilled trade," she said.
In an email to CTV News, EllisDon denied the union’s accusation that it wants arbitration instead of negotiation.
"Our attempts to contact the Local (1359) since early last week have gone unanswered," the email said, adding that the company "remains committed to the bargaining process."
Company officials did not comment on the one per cent wage increase or its connection to Bill 124.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.