Developmental Services

Tentative agreement at Community Living Oakville

Sept. 11, 2007 OPSEU Local 249 and Community Living Oakville were able to reach a tentative settlement.

The offer will be brought back to the membership with a recommendation from the negotiating team. The ratification meeting is on Monday September 17 – more details to follow. Details of the tentative settlement will not be shared until the meeting.

Deal ratified in Stratford

August 31, 2007 Developmental services members have ratified new deals in Stratford, as well as Norfolk and South Simcoe. More…

Tentative agreement averts strike at Norfolk Association for Community Living

August 23, 2007 SIMCOE: Negotiators for Local 221 have reached a tentative deal with Norfolk Association for Community Living today.

A ratification vote on the three-year deal is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 27.

More details will be available soon.

Thomas to meet with media in London today

August 7, 2007 The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says the desire of three community living agency employers to take reprisals is delaying the end of strikes involving about 1,000 London area workers. OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas will be in London today. More…

OPSEU Developmental services workers rally in Toronto Monday

July 30, 2007 Liberal image of "Labour peace" does not match the reality Striking OPSEU developmental service workers demonstrated in front of an international labour conference in Toronto Monday July 30 to bring attention to the need for a living wage for staff and quality service for the people they support. more …
Slide show for today's event

July 27, 2007 “It’s not Cricket”: Big Rally Monday Striking developmental service workers will rally Monday in front of a labour conference in Toronto where the government hopes to tout its success. more …

July 26, 2007 Members picket Finance Minister in Newmarket. OPSEU Developmental services members picketed a nomination meeting in Newmarket July 25 and were able to give Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara a thorough briefing. more...

July 24 2007 Minister locks out striking workers They came all the way to Ottawa, but Minister of Community and Social Services Madeleine Meilleur locked her office door as bus loads of strikers arrived from London, St. Thomas, Chatham and Strathroy. More View Slideshow

July 23, 2007 OPSEU demonstration planned for Minister’s Ottawa office OPSEU members are going to be at Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur’s constituency office at 2:00 pm in support of striking developmental service workers more,,,

July 20, 2007Tillsonburg staff poised to strike; call for McGuinty to intervene Staff at Community Living Tillsonburg will be on strike July 29 unless the McGuinty government produces the necessary funding increase. more....

July 19, 2007 St. Thomas and District Labour Council, OPSEU Local 151 (Elgin developmental service workers on strike) and CAW Local 1001 are planning a rally Friday July 20 to call on Labour Minister Steve Peters to bring back “anti-scab” legislation in Ontario. Replacement workers have been used by various developmental service agencies during the current strikes. View rally poster.

Thomas and Rout tour pickets, call on Liberals to end strikes

July 18, 2007 OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas and Vice-president/Treasurer Patty Rout toured picket lines July 17, focusing on the union's goal to force the Liberal government to provide needed funding to end the strikes in the developmental services sector.. More.

Thomas, Rout to tour picket lines

July 16, 2007 OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas and First Vice-President-Treasurer Patty Rout will spend time on the picket lines with striking developmental services workers in London, Chatham, St. Thomas and Strathroy Tuesday July 17. More.

Bowling party shows commitment of striking workers to people they support

July 16, 2007 A July 13 bowling party was an opportunity for Local 144 members from Community Living London and the people they support to get together as the strike at four community agencies in the London area enters its fourth week. More

Support developmental service workers on strike

July 12, 2007 The resolve of developmental services workers at four community living agencies in the southwest grows each day to achieve the settlement they are striking for. All the support from OPSEU members and friends has been appreciated. more.....

Cabinet ministers skip North Bay meeting, but get an earful in Sudbury on developmental services

July 11, 2007 Two Liberal cabinet ministers missed a planned media event and a chance to hear OPSEU's message in North Bay this week, but activists caught up with them in Sudbury. More.

July 11, 2007 Local 448, representing workers at Community Living Prince Edward, filed a no-board report starting the countdown to a strike date of Aug. 7. Talks broke down yesterday. more...

July 9, 2007 Hundreds protested at an Ontario Liberal fundraising event July 6 to highlight the McGuinty government’s lack of leadership for people with developmental disabilities.
And this wasn’t all...

July 6, 2007 OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas recently visited picket lines in London, St. Thomas, Chatham and Strathroy to encourage developmental service pickets in their fight for a fair wage at four community living agencies. View the slideshow

July 3, 2007 Hundreds greet McGuinty in London protest Hundreds of developmental service workers, people they support and their families rallied today at the Stronach Arena in London, to confront Premier Dalton McGuinty. more...

July 3, 2007 Premier compares services for people with developmental disabilities to garbage collection Premier McGuinty today compared developmental services work to garbage collection. more...

June 29, 2007 As striking developmental services workers in London, Chatham, St. Thomas and Strathroy prepare for their second week on the picket lines, the generosity of OPSEU members and friends making donations in solidarity is appreciated. Those wishing to help may send funds to the following addresses

June 27, 2007 Thomas tells picketers Premier should just write cheque now President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is telling striking developmental services workers at picket lines in London, Chatham, St. Thomas and Strathroy today that Premier McGuinty should step up now and provide the funding needed to stop these strikes. more...

June 26 2007 Developmental service workers from Community Living Meaford rally in front of Meaford Town Hall to raise awareness of the McGuinty government’s lack of funding for people with developmental disabilities. Staff at CLM could be on strike by July 18, joining four other agencies already on the picket line.

June 2007 Pressure mounts as Developmental Services agencies across Ontario give their bargaining teams strong strike mandates See photos and complete results

June 26, 2007 Community Living Peterborough, Local 358, gave its bargaining team a 99 per cent strike vote June 25, the 21st such strike vote in developmental service agencies across Ontario.

Community Living London on strike
June 23, 2007 - Staff at Community Living London walked off the job last at midnight lastnight after not reaching a deal through contract negotiations. Three more agencies will likely be on the picketline by the end of the weekend. more...

MEDIA ADVISORY Prince Edward developmental service workers to picket McGuinty’s office
June 21, 2007 Developmental service workers from Prince Edward will picket the Premier’s constituency office June 22 to raise awareness more ...

June 21, 2007 London Free Press Strike would impact disabled: Support workers with Community Living London could walk off the job this Saturday.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/
2007/06/21/4278002-sun.html

June 20, 2007 Picketing begins at the Ministry of Community and Social Services London Regional Office see photos from the event...

June 18, 2007 Developmental Service members prepare for June 23 strike deadline. News Release and photos

June 15, 2007 NEWS RELEASE London picket line targets the McGuinty government’s lack of support for people with developmental disabilities more...

May 22, 2007 Developmental Service workers greet Premier McGuinty on May 18th in St. Thomas, calling on him to deliver the funding needed for wages to avoid any province-wide service disruption.

May 16, 2007 Developmental service workers picketing across Ontario to raise community awareness Staff who support people with developmental disabilities in communities across Ontario are picketing local MPP offices and other community hubs today, to highlight the Ontario government’s inadequate response to the crisis in developmental services. more...