Solidarity runs wild in Sudbury across two picket lines

SUDBURY, ON –(COMMUNITYWIRE)– The word of the day is solidarity in Sudbury, as picket lines form for two CUPE locals on opposite ends of the city. Members of OCEU/CUPE 1750 took some time before their picket shift to go down and support the picket line of CUPE 2073, who represent workers at the Canadian Hearing Services.

“CUPE 2073’s picket line is about as far removed from ours as possible. It’s on the other side of town, it’s much smaller, and many of their members are Deaf so there are interpreters and people are communicating through sign language,” said Christine Beauparlant, one of the picket captains for OCEU’s Sudbury members. “Those differences pale in comparison to our solidarity and support for one another as CUPE members and as workers. That’s why we decided to join them on their line and bring them some Tim’s.”

CUPE 2073 has only 206 members, but they’ve ran 15 strike lines across the province for more than a month. There are 10 members on strike in Sudbury who do the critical but often invisible work of ensuring that Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people can fully participate in society. Since they were forced out on strike, CHS clients have had medical procedures cancelled, can’t get access to their hearing aids, and have been left waiting for hours in Tim Hortons for appointments that CHS failed to inform them had been cancelled.

While clients are struggling and workers are desperate to get back to their jobs, CHS has shown no interest in ending the strike. They refused to make an offer in the last day of bargaining, instead making unserious demands as preconditions to any negotiations.

“This is an accessibility issue. It’s also a workers’ rights issue. CHS didn’t meaningfully try and bargain before they started changing our contract. The result is this now month-long strike that’s hurting workers and the people we support,” said Mara Waern, an employment consultant with CHS based in Sudbury and President of CUPE 2073. “That’s why the support we’ve been getting from clients and from other workers like the members of OCEU/CUPE 1750 is so meaningful. Together we will win.”

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For more information, please contact:

Bill Chalupiak, CUPE Communications Representative
wchalupiak@cupe.ca
416-707-1401