Striking Dilico Anishinabek Family Care workers could be back to work as early as August.
Representatives with the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union, who are representing the 350 striking union members, met with the company and returned to the negotiating table Tuesday.
The negotiations started at 9 a.m. and it wasn’t until nearly 2 a.m. the next morning that both parties reached a tentative deal.
CEP local 7-0 president Candace Lavalley said the negotiations went well with Dilico. She added that there was a lot of back and forth discussion on the numerous issues.
She said her members have mixed feelings about the possibility of going back to work.
“Obviously being on the picket line they have become a little less stressed and a little bit more friendly to one another,” she said Wednesday.
“They were able to find out a little bit more about each other and talk. I know the stress levels are climbing a little bit as they become more anxious about coming back to work. It’s like jumping right back into the fire.”
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The high number of caseloads, the way employees are paid for being on-call and for their overtime are some of the main issues.
The union needs more than 50 per cent of the vote to move ahead with the agreement.
Lavalley suspects that her members will vote in favour of the new deal.
“Some of our members were a little upset because they heard about it over the news,” she said.
“I didn’t get my email out to my members until 7 a.m., 7:30 a.m. So a few were upset. There’s some really good language in there. If we will take our members through it and explain it, I think they will make a very informed decision.”
Voting will be starting throughout the week. Lavalley said Dilico is looking to ratify the deal on Friday and the union on the July 29. If all goes well, employees could be back to work on Aug. 6.
Thunder Bay employees will be voting Monday at the Victoria Inn.
Tbenwswatch.com has reached out to Dilico officials for comment.
