‘It doesn’t seem fair’: Retirement home staff in Tilbury call for fairer wages, staffing support

Workers at a retirement home in Tilbury are calling for a fair contract. As CTV Windsor’s Sanjay Maru reports, employees held an information picket.

Chanting alongside residents who call them “family,” staff at Hudson Manor Retirement Residence staged an information picket Thursday, saying they are underpaid, overworked and have gone nearly two years without a contract.

There are 25 employees, represented by Unifor Local 1941, who provide care for 37 residents at the Lawson Street home.

Many earn just slightly above minimum wage — with some starting at $18.50. By October, the province’s minimum wage will rise to $17.60, narrowing the gap even further.

“Being here that long and not making 20 dollars an hour is really hard, especially when everything is so expensive today,” said Edna Larsh, who has worked at Hudson Manor for 23 years. “It doesn’t seem fair.”

Larsh said staffing levels have dwindled from more than 30 to about 22. She said new hires often stay only three to six months before moving on to better-paying jobs.

“They train here and then find out they can go to Belle River or Chatham and make 25 to 27 dollars an hour to start,” she said. “They’re young so they have to go where the money is. I don’t blame them.”

Residents joined the picket to show support, saying the staff have become like family.

“They give up all their time and their families for us. They take care of us like we were their own,” said 81-year-old resident Barbara Walton.

“If we want something done, or we’re lonely, or we can’t sleep at night, they’re there for us.”

Lucia Kassiodis, 79, said she has noticed the impact one sick call has on other staffers.

“Someone has to cover two shifts. So I think they deserve a lot more than what they are getting,” said Kassiodis."

Walton added that “when somebody can work like that and not get paid what they deserve, there’s something wrong.”

Local union president John Turton said Hudson Manor was once considered a model retirement home, even winning awards for its care — but, he added, those days are long gone.

“Today, the conditions are poor, the staff are frustrated and the employer doesn’t seem to care,” Turton said.

Because Hudson Manor falls under Ontario’s health-care system, provincial law prevents staff from striking. That leaves them limited to information pickets like Thursday’s demonstration.

“They take advantage of that,” Turton said. “These workers love the residents, they show up every day … but they’ve been without a contract for almost two years. All we’re asking is for the employer to sit down and negotiate.”

In a statement, Hudson Manor said it has been actively engaged in bargaining with Unifor Local 1941 “for some time.” Earlier this year, at the union’s request, both sides agreed to proceed to interest arbitration, scheduled for February 2026.

Interest arbitration is a process where an independent arbitrator sets the terms of a contract when unions and employers can’t reach a deal, instead of resolving it through a strike or lockout.

The home said it values employees’ contributions and remains committed to reaching a fair outcome while ensuring residents continue to receive quality care.

Union officials, meanwhile, said they are prepared to continue rallying until workers get “what they need.”

“If we have to come out and picket again, we will,” said Turton.

An information picket is when workers rally outside to raise awareness but still report for their shifts, unlike a strike where they stop working altogether.