Workers at Nipissing Transition House in North Bay are calling for expanded programs and enhanced workplace protections.
This from CUPE officials who say contract negotiations have been underway since 2019.
Danielle Foren, frontline emergency worker and Vice-President of CUPE Local 4720, says staff retention has been an issue for a long time, but their biggest concern involves services for the community.
“The employer does think they’re making positive changes in the workplace but the reality is that our staff are dropping, our programs and services are being cut and essentially we can’t meet the needs of the community,” she says.
Foren says programs are either vacant or don’t have funding.
“All of these things that we used to have, like helping women advocate for assistance in navigating the court system, transitioning from the shelter to independent living, those are things we’re striving for at the bargaining table,” she says, noting that the pandemic isn’t helping either.
“COVID has spiked the abuse levels, domestic violence is real, it’s in our community, it’s happening. This is the most dire time when our services need to be protected,” Foren says.
CUPE says 16 members at Nipissing Transition House will be in a legal strike position on June 28th.
MyNorthBayNow.com has reached out to officials with Nipissing Transition House for comment and will update this story once it is received.
