FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 14, 2002
Sudbury Manitoulin District CAS staff ratify tentative agreement to avoid strike
SUDBURY - Frontline Children’s Aid Society staff in Sudbury, Manitoulin and East Algoma averted a strike by ratifying their new collective agreement in a 98 per cent vote Aug. 13.
The 150 staff of the Sudbury, Manitoulin and Chapleau offices, represented by OPSEU Local 668, were set to walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. August 13, 2002, if they were unable to arrive at a collective agreement at the midnight strike deadline. Last month staff voted 87 per cent to authorize strike action.
Members ratified a contract that would give all staff 8 per cent increases over the next 3 years, with an additional 1 per cent in pay equity for office and clerical staff. Members also won caps on caseloads of 20 for intake workers and 25 for family service and child care workers. Mileage is set at .36 cents per
kilometer. Members also gained improvements on liability, flex and overtime, vacations, and a self-funded leave plan.
“We hope this new agreement will get us started on the road to end the vicious circle of underpayment, staff shortages, and inability to recruit and retain,” said Linda Aho, President of Local 668.
CAS workers, including frontline child protection workers and support staff, still face challenges in workload, hours of work and rates of pay. Workload, wages and mileage were the main points of contention in reaching a settlement.
“We want to be able to protect the children and we need these improvements to do that,” Aho said. “Our troubles are not over by any means but this is a starting point we can live with.”
Members had been without a contract since March 31, 2002.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Linda Aho, 705-560-1502
