97 percent of OPSEU members at One Kids Place (OKP) have voted in favour of strike action if needed.
Over 70 members have given their bargaining team a strike mandate.
Tara Maszczakiewicz, OPSEU/SEFPO Regional Vice President, says the only remaining issue is a new model of working hours.
She says OKP employees have long been successfully flexing hours to meet client needs, but a casual-worker model is being imposed where hours can change with limited ability to flex hours.
“They’re occupational therapists, they’re physiotherapists, they’re behavioural therapists, they’re social workers and speech and language pathologists,” Maszczakiewicz says. “They are dedicated to these children, they’re willing to be flexible, it has never been an issue and we don’t understand why the employer wants to put it on the table.”
“70 out of the 73 workers are women,” she adds. “The majority of them have caregiving responsibilities at home as well, either with their own children or elderly parents. This model simply won’t work and allow them to go to work and service their clients.”
Maszczakiewicz says a strike date has not yet been set.
Brenda Loubert, Executive Director at One Kids Place remains hopeful.
“We continue to respect the bargaining process and as such we don’t have a lot of comment at this point. We do remain hopeful that we will get a deal at our next sitting,” she says.
Further talks are scheduled for mid-September.
OPSEU says the members have been without a contract since March 31, 2021.
