An agreement between ParaMed and Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 393 has been reached to move back the strike deadline.
Greg McVeigh, OPSEU staff representative and negotiator, says it has been moved back to Feb. 17th. The union represents 200 personal support workers and home support workers between Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka with McVeigh pointing out that three are based in Muskoka.
According to union officials, the strike action comes after officials say ParaMed made an “insulting offer” of a raise of 8 cents an hour. Currently, officials say those they represent make between $16.67 and $19.70 an hour.
“We are asking for a 2.5% per year wage increase,” says Cheryl Bumstead, Local 393 president and bargaining team chair. “We think that’s more than reasonable during this time of record inflation.”
“ParaMed is committed to continuing to negotiate in good faith with our union partners,” said a ParaMed spokesperson in a statement to the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom. “There were some inaccuracies of the earlier framing of these ongoing negotiations and the exclusion of critical context from previous media reports, including the recent $3 pay increase for all personal support workers, details of general wage increases and offers of lump sum payments, and an agreement to increase mileage rates.”
The spokesperson says negotiations have continued throughout the week and “positive progress” has been made. “We value our team’s dedication and hard work, and have a long history of engaging in meaningful discussions with our union partners,” the spokesperson writes. “We look forward to further discussions at the bargaining table to renew the collective agreement without a disruption to service.”
“ParaMed has refused to budge from their offer of 8 cents per hour in the first year for our lowest-paid members who earn $16.67 per hour,” says Bumstead. “They also want our members who earn $19.70 per hour to get no increase at all for three years. There’s no way we can accept that.”
ParaMed home care workers provide personal care such as bathing and personal hygiene, toileting, dressing, meal preparation, and social support to clients who live at home as well as some who live in retirement homes, according to union officials.