Schelgel`s workers are ready to take legal action in the fight for a respectful collective agreement, although the employer is threatened with legal action and enforcement. He says the union is asking for more staff in the villages. The union represents more than 400 staff assistants, registered nurse practitioners, dietary staff and a few maintenance workers in the two Windsor villages. It says its members are currently working without a contract after their previous collective agreement expired at the end of November. One village is located south of Windsor at St. Clair College and the second village near the WFCU center on McHugh Street. “Our members feel frustrated, underestimated and totally despised by the employer,” said Glenn Westoby, President of Local 504. “Schlegel continues to pay below industry standards, although he has repeatedly told the union that he wants to be the leader in the long-term care sector. It is very unfortunate that this feeling is not reflected in the working conditions and remuneration that Unifor members see. “It`s no longer just about understaffing in nursing homes,” said Nancy McMurphy, president of Local 302. “The real challenge is often to work two or three people on a given day. Residents are not getting the care they deserve, and employees feel hopeless and defeated. In December 2019, Unifor presented a report to the provincial government entitled Caring in Crisis: Ontario`s Long-Term Care PSW Shortage, which describes the systemic lack of personal support workers (PSW) in Ontario.

Unifor Local 302 represents nearly 400 members in the Village of Glendale Crossing in London and Pinehaven Nursing Home in Kitchener and Unifor Local 504 represents nearly 250 members at the Village of Wentworth Heights in Hamilton. These two premises form the Unifor Master Negotiations team with Local 2458 in Windsor. . Contract contract contract “We signed with Schlegel, which is one of the largest companies that deal with long-term care and they came to the negotiating table with a ridiculous offer that we simply can not bring to our membership “. Unifor is Canada`s largest private sector union and represents 315,000 workers in all major sectors of the economy. The union defends all workers and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and aspires to progressive change for a better future. DiPonti said the union met with members Monday morning. . “Having a reward system to deal with understaffing is an insult not only to workers, but also to residents. Understaffing in LTC homes is a systemic problem and a reward system does not reduce the burden or stress on workers trying to meet the needs of the residents of these facilities,” said McMurphy.