Striking workers enter 3rd week picketing Guelph Family and Children's Services

A strike at Family and Children's Services of Guelph and Wellington County has entered its third week and the union says it is concerned for the at-risk children it could be affecting.

Mediated talks broke off last Wednesday after management and those representing members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 4325 failed to reach an agreement to end the strike.

Both sides have been asked by the mediator not to speak to the media.

Services have been reduced

In a press release Monday, Cathy Thomas, president of CUPE 4325, said members know the strike action is affecting families and they hope management will return to the bargaining table.

"Our biggest concern is that, while our members are on the picket line, the at-risk children, youth and their families will not be receiving the full services that frontline staff provide," Thomas said in the release.

"Our job is to take care of at-risk children and youth in our community and we can't do that if management will not offer us a fair deal so we can get back to work."

Thomas said the strike is "over issues of inequality at the agency." In the last contract, workers did not receive any pay increases for two years while the union says management received a nine per cent wage increase in one year.

Sheila Markle, the agency's executive director, was unable to be immediately reached for comment on Monday. In previous interviews, she has said there is a willingness by management to "sit at the table until we have an agreement. So, we're hoping the union is prepared to do the same."

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Workers began picketing April 11

The workers have been without a contract since March 31, 2015. An initial contract offered in January was rejected, and a final offer made April 6 was also rejected. Workers were in a legal strike position on April 9 and began picketing in front of the offices on Eramosa Road on April 11.

With 130 support workers on strike, services through the agency are limited and non-emergency services have been cancelled. Management has said the following services will not be available:

• Attending community meetings.
• Training foster and adoptive parents.
• Approving new foster or adoptive parents.
• Provision of group services.
• Responding to community calls that are deemed non-urgent, such as requests for information.