FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23 2006
OPT attendants give
OPSEU a 100 per cent strike mandate
Driver/attendants at
Niagara Ontario Patient Transport yesterday voted unanimously in
support of their union calling a strike if conciliation does not
improve management’s offer for a first collective agreement.
The
driver/attendants are members of Ontario Public Service
Employees Union Local 267. OPSEU was certified in May 2005 to
represent the 20 employees. Conciliation is scheduled for Feb.
6th and 7th.
“Good progress was
made on language and scheduling issues but talks stalled over
wages, lack of sick leave and no overtime provisions,” said
OPSEU negotiating team chair Steve McIntyre.
Currently there is
no wage grid in place and driver/attendants earn between $11 and
$13 an hour dependent on their hiring wage. Senior employees
have worked a number of years with no wage increase.
OPT offered a wage
grid in the first year of the contract starting at $11 an hour
and ending at $12 an hour after 18 months. This would result in
some driver/attendants being red-circled to maintain their
current wage. The employer also wants a five year agreement with
subsequent yearly increases falling far short of wage increases
in comparable workplaces.
Virgery Vanier,
OPSEU’s negotiator said, “It is totally unacceptable that these
health care workers should be expected to transport patients to
and from hospitals and not be offered any type of sick leave.
They are exposed to bio-hazards daily and are at much higher
risk of occupational illnesses than most other workers.”
For further
information:
Virgery Vanier,
negotiator 905-892-5729
Steve McIntyre, team
chair 905-295-0008
