Skip to content

Canadian Hearing Society workers hit picket line

Union members walk of job to protest proposed sick-leave changes and lack of raises.
Picket Line 2
Striking Canadian Hearing Society workers walk the picket line in Thunder Bay on Monday, March 6, 2017 (Luisa Alvarez, Thunder Bay Television).

THUNDER BAY – Unionized workers with the Canadian Hearing Society have walked off the job after rejected the organization’s latest contract offer.

Sylvia Metzner, a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2073, spent Monday morning walking the picket line outside Victoriaville Mall said enough’s enough when it comes to labour negotiations.

“We haven’t had a contract in four years now. We enjoy our work, we want to get back to work and we encourage the employer to get back to the table to negotiate and give us a fair deal,” Metzner said.

At issue is a proposed rollback to workers’ benefits, a move that’s not acceptable to union members.

“They also want to do a reduction to our sick leave,” she said. “We can’t take that. We need our sick days and also a wage increase. We haven’t had a raise in four years.”

The Canadian Hearing Society in Thunder Bay provides a number of services to the hearing impaired, including communications devices, educational support, sign-language interpreters and basic video conferencing services.

Additionally the organization hosts sign-language classes as well as literary and basic skills classes, as well as a variety of types of counseling for the hearing impaired.

“We want to get back to work. We want to serve our clients and provide for our families,” said striking CHS worker Jody Carrier.

In a release issued on behalf of the Canadian Hearing Society, officials say they have been working diligently for more than a month to reach a deal with employees across Ontario, only to have the union walk out of negotiations and declare an Ontario-wide strike.

"We are disappointed that the union has chosen to strike and we will continue to work to get them back to the bargaining table," says Gary Malkowski, vice-president at CHS and a member of the executive labour relations team.

"The offer we presented would allow the Canadian Hearing Society to continue providing the professional services and programs that benefit deaf and hard of hearing Canadians. As always, the people we serve are at the heart of all of our decisions that impact operations."

CHS officials say they believe they’ve offered a fair deal for workers in the not-for-profit sector, a contract that includes a three-year retroactive wage increase and maintaining group benefits at current levels.

The sick leave program would be modernized under the latest offer.

"Many of our clients rely on CHS services to support their essential and daily living needs to fully participate in society," said Malkowski.

"In light of CUPE’s decision to strike, our focus right now is to provide our clients with the best possible care and service under these disappointing circumstances."



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time (it's happening!). Twitter: @LeithDunick
Read more



push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks