Hearing services disrupted as CUPE members go on strike

Workers for Canadian Hearing Services have been on strike since Monday across Ontario.

There are picket lines at nine CHS locations across the province, and at six MPP constituency offices.

According to a news release, the last time this workforce went on strike, they were out for 10 weeks in 2017.

“This small group of workers has an outsized impact, delivering critical programs for thousands of Deaf and hard of hearing Ontarians,” an unidentified CUPE rep is quoted in an online news release.

“CHS’s last offer was a one-year deal with a 2% raise. Workers are asking for a two-year deal with 2% and 3% per year respectively,” said CUPE official Jesse Mintz.

“Beyond wages, the workers are deeply disheartened that CHS is only offering a one-year deal. They desperately want some stability and consistency. The workers are also fighting for an additional sick day (they want 10 total), a pension increase, and paid time for union leaders to plan for and participate in bargaining (this is a reoccurring point of tension with workers feeling like CHS doesn’t respect workers’ rights to organize as a union).”

Locations closed indefinitely

According to a news release on the CHS website, the two sides have been negotiating for “several months” to renew a contract that expired March 31.

CHS says they offered staff a one-year collective agreement with a 4.9 per cent increase in pay.

CUPE, according to CHS, is asking for an increase of 30.5 per cent over three years.

“As we navigate the strike alongside the complexities of the current economic and political climate, we remain focused on resolving the labour dispute in a way that ensures stability for our staff and vitally essential services for our clients,” the news release reads.

The company said audiology clinics are now closed but they will provide other services on a priority basis.

Karly Green is an HCC for Canadian Hearing Services. Green is hopeful that an agreement can be reached that is mutually satisfactory. However, from Green’s standpoint, the collective bargaining process has gotten off to a rough start.

“We’re currently on strike because, we’re not able to bargain with our employer right now,” said Green.

“We originally were given an offer that we were told needed to be responded to in 24 hours [and] because of the unique needs of the people that work here, our deaf staff need interpreters. That wasn’t possible for us, and we were not given another option.”

Moreover, support from the public given the current labour impasse is appreciated by Green and colleagues on the picket line.

“So, if this is something that you’re passionate about, you’re passionate about supporting unions and supporting us in this, we do have on our website 2073,” said Green.

“We have two action petitions that you can sign, and that’s to show our employer and the people that provide us funding that people want us here and people want us working.”