OPSEU LOCAL 276
NEWS RELEASE

May 1, 2008

OPSEU Grey Bruce Health Unit on strike

OWEN SOUND –Office and clerical employees of the Grey Bruce Health Unit are on the picket lines this morning after last-minute negotiations failed.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union bargaining team called the strike yesterday after failing to reach an agreement with the Health Unit. Pickets were set up this morning at the Health Unit’s offices at the corner of 9th Street and 1st Avenue West in Owen Sound.

OPSEU Local 276 represents 27 office and clerical employees at the health unit. Wages for this group lag 15 per cent behind their counterparts in other health units, and in comparable jobs in Grey, Bruce, Simcoe and across Ontario. In addition, wages are 24 per cent lower than those of non-union office administration staff working in the Health Unit itself.

“We regret the inconvenience and potential public risk, but this employer refuses to respect our members,” said Linda Owens, spokesperson for the local.

The union extended the strike deadline earlier this week but the employer’s proposals did not address the issues, Owens said. “The wage increase this employer offered might not even keep pace with inflation, never mind allowing us to catch up with our counterparts,” she said.

Members of the office and clerical unit work in many programs at the unit including vaccine delivery, rabies and bird flu, safe water, sexual health and immunization clinics.

For more information: Linda Owens, Local 276: 519-794-3675 or David Cox, OPSEU Communications (both French/English)