(GUELPH – June 22, 2010) –
Management for Guelph Independent Living
(GIL) has set back negotiations for a first
contract with its employees by firing the
secretary of OPSEU Local 203 in the middle
of bargaining.
“This action by the employer
is nothing less than raw intimidation,” said
local president Laura Webster, who
represents 75 members at GIL. “Management
has little interest in serious bargaining so
they turn to tactics like dismissing a union
executive member as a way of whipping staff
into line.”
GIL staff work with people
with physical disabilities and the elderly.
They voted to join the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union in October, 2009.
They are currently attempting to negotiate
their first contract.
But those negotiations have
hit a roadblock with the recent actions by
the employer to dismiss Local 203 secretary
Mickey Montin who was accused by GIL
management of conflict-of-interest for
paying off the loan of a severely disabled
client who was about to be evicted from his
apartment.
“Our member took this action
because it was part of the financial
agreement with the bank when the loan was
negotiated. In fact, our member took this
action even though she incurred considerable
out-of-pocket expenses herself,” said
Webster.
OPSEU president Warren
(Smokey) Thomas said Local 203 and the fired
member have the full support of the union.
“Let’s understand this for
what it actually is: intimidation in the
middle of contract negotiations,” said
Thomas. “Be assured we will fight this.”
Members will hold an
information picket at the agency Annual
General Member’s Meeting on June 24 from
4:30-5:30 at the Guelph Arboretum,
University of Guelph.
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