The picket lines will forming outside a retirement home in Alliston Oct. 16.
Members of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 332 plan to rally at the Aspira Kingsmere Retirement Living facility Oct. 16, days after union leadership delivered a petition to the headquarters of Sienna Senior Living, which owns the facility.
OPSEU/SEFPO represents nurses and personal-support (PSW) and dietary workers at the retirement home.
The petition demands a $3-per-hour wage increase for every Local 332 member at the facility.
OPSEU says Kingsmere dietary aides currently earn minimum wage, PSWs get $19 per hour and nurses collect $24 per hour; the living-wage rate for Simcoe County is $20.70 per hour.
“Sienna can easily afford to pay their retirement home workers a living wage,” Local steward Sara Labelle said. “They make millions by charging their residents thousands of dollars every month and paying our members a pittance to care for them.”
Earlier this year, Kingsmere allegedly gave one dietary worker a $3 per hour raise without consulting the union, and apparently refused to do the same for other staff. OPSEU filed a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board, demanding all unionized Kingsmere employees receive the same pay hike, effective immediately. That mediation date is Oct. 16.
Sienna senior media relations manager Nadia Daniell-Colarossi said the company is aware of the planned protest and respects the rights of participating employees.
"Resident care remains our top priority and our programs will not be impacted by this activity," she said. "We are committed to working with the union to resolve any outstanding issues through the well-established, mutually agreed-upon processes in place. Additionally, we have requested that they join us at the table to begin the bargaining process for a new agreement. Our team members are passionate about their work and we want to work with them to achieve our shared goals."
The rally is slated to begin at 10 a.m.
