Fort Frances Clinic employees have asked the Ministry of Labour to appoint a conciliation officer to assist them in achieving a contract settlement in their latest round of bargaining.
The 26 members of Local #65 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)—who are registered practical nurses, doctors’ helpers, stenographers, and clerks at the clinic—are looking for improvements in benefits and a wage increase comparable to that given to employees working in the public sector throughout the province, the union said in a press release issued this morning.
The other major issue is employer demands for concessions in vacations, benefits, and wages, CUPE added.
“The members voted 100 percent in favour of taking action up to and including strike action if a settlement cannot be reached at conciliated talks,” CUPE rep Jules Tupker said in the press release.
“The benefits and wages these employees make are well below those earned by employees working in comparable classifications at other workplaces and the members are not prepared to fall farther behind.
“The employer has some major takeaways on the table that the members are not prepared to accept,” Tupker added.
Clinic administration declined to comment before conciliation takes place.
The unionized employees at the clinic have been working without a contract since Aug. 1.
Fort Frances Times
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