After three months on the picket line, workers with Community Living London (CLL) believe they are inching closer to a resolution for their labour dispute. On Tuesday, members of OPSEU Local 166, who began job action in May, shifted their focus to the Ramada Inn on Wellington Road, where some developmentally disabled clients have been housed during the strike. The strike, which has seen nearly 660 OPSEU members advocating for better wages and working conditions, highlights a broader struggle within Ontario’s community and social development sector. Workers argue that chronic underfunding and inadequate pay have pushed the sector to a crisis point, impacting both staff retention and the quality of care for vulnerable individuals. “These are the most vulnerable people in Ontario. And they need our government to do better,” said Development Services worker Justin Mullarkey, emphasizing that the strike is fundamentally about the well-being of the clients they support. A more optimistic tone marked Tuesday’s picket as private mediator Gerry Lee became involved in negotiations for the first time. Lee has the potential to act as a conciliator, empowering him to propose a binding agreement if both parties agree. Support worker Tamara Duggan expressed cautious optimism but voiced concerns that even a resolved contract might not address the systemic issues plaguing community living services. “I think that we all strive to do the best we can with little resources that we have. But this time was really about making sure that people are aware that those resources are dwindling,” she said. The dispute is further complicated by the funding structure, where OPSEU negotiates with its CLL executives, but the ultimate funder is the Ontario Government. “We can demonstrate year after year. We’ve taken zeros or point-fives. Nothing over one per cent for sure,” said OPSEU 166 President Lisa Fewster, referring to minimal pay increases in recent contracts. She pointed to the government’s role as the direct funder, making productive talks challenging. Fewster also highlighted the dire affordability issues faced by those with developmental disabilities, with many ending up homeless due to a lack of adequate community supports following the closure of mental health facilities. “This is not just about wages. This is about the support and the crisis that this sector is in, and the waitlist of thousands and thousands of people. It’s a broken system. And the funding 100 per cent did not follow.” Joining the solidarity rally and barbecue at OPSEU headquarters on Dearness Drive were staff from Ingersoll Support Services (OPSEU Local 172). Approximately 126 members from this agency were locked out on May 23rd. Like the OPSEU 166 members, they are seeking a 6.5 per cent pay increase that other public sector workers received after a court overturned the Ford government’s Bill 124 wage-freeze legislation. “I don’t feel like we should have to fight this hard for something that was owed to us and taken from us, and we deserve the respect from our employer and our government to make sure that we have the funding we need to keep good employees at our agency,” said OPSEU 172 President Angela Hutson. The Local 172 bargaining team is scheduled to meet with the mediator on Wednesday. The situation in London reflects a wider provincial strike involving approximately 4,000 community and social development workers. OPSEU/SEFPO reports significant progress, citing agreements reached at Hamilton’s Lynwood Charlton Centre and Community Living Trent Highlands in Peterborough. These multi-year deals include substantial wage increases, which the union aims to set as a new standard. “The coordination and steadfast resolve of these members are what got us to this point. Together these workers have raised the floor for wages that we expect to see replicated and built upon across the province,” stated OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick in an online statement. Community Living London Executive Director Michelle Palmer, in a statement released Aug. 13, emphasized the agency’s reliance on direct funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. “We have received no additional funding since the commencement of the strike. There have also been no indications from the Government that any additional funding is on the horizon,” Palmer stated. She explained that CLL’s offers have always been made within the constraints of its allocated budget, and agreeing to a settlement exceeding their ability to pay would be irresponsible and jeopardize the agency’s stability and the services it provides.
