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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.