ACL workers still on strike

Striking Association of Community Living workers have now been picketing for 12 days here with no talks underway–and none scheduled.
“No, there’s nothing at all. It’s pretty much status quo with last week,” noted Alanna Barr, executive director of the Fort Frances and District Association of Community Living.
The 62 striking members of CUPE Local #65 are picketing three ACL buildings around town to back demands for wage increases and a pension.
They are making their presence felt 24 hours a day, with a permanent camp set up on private property across from the ACL housing complex on Hudson Drive.
“It’s kind of a miserable day. We’re longing for a little bit of warmer weather,” union member Randy Ryan said Tuesday. “[But] we’ve got people here 24 hours.”
The striking workers are set up prepared for the long run–with several campers and barbecues.
In the meantime, management is running most ACL programs except for the Activity Centre, Treasure Chest, and Good Impressions Printing, which have been closed during the strike.
“Management will continue to work until we reach a settlement, whatever that time frame is,” said Barr. “The [programs] are running, not as usual, but they’re running.”
Talks between the two groups collapsed April 30. Local #65 members are demanding a five percent wage hike in 2001 and 2002 while the ACL is offering only one percent, non-retroactive, this year and 1.5 percent in 2002.
On Friday, Ontario NDP leader and local MPP Howard Hampton visited all three pickets sites–at the Hudson Drive complex, the administration offices at 340 Scott St., and at the Activity Centre on Mowat Avenue–to show his support.
“The people who work for the association take on really important responsibilities,” said Hampton. “They have difficult jobs and yet they are paid 25 percent less than they would doing the same thing in a hospital of educational institution.
“Often they’ve been at the job 10 to 15 years. They’re committed but they are grossly underpaid,” he added.