THUNDER BAY – The city’s municipal leaders are calling on both sides to work together to bring the 15-week strike at the Port Arthur Health Centre to an end.
Thunder Bay city council on Monday night unanimously voted to urge the clinic’s management and the union representing the striking workers to get back to the table to resolve the labour dispute. Council had to first vote to hear the deputation from Unifor officials, as their request came in later than procedural rules typically allow.
The 65 employees of the north side health centre have been on the picket lines since walking off the job on April 9, with the strike now surpassing the 100-day mark.
Andy Savela, Unifor’s director of health care, said a mediator has tried three times to engage the employer to hear both sides and try to find common ground. All three of those attempts have been unsuccessful, he added.
“We’re not that far apart from what we need in terms of getting a tentative settlement,” Savela said. “But we can’t do it alone. Obviously, if they refuse to sit down and bargain then we’re not going to see a resolve to this. Any cooperation would have to be shared by the employer.”
Savela said arbitration could only be an option if both sides agree to the process.
Union officials have said the major issues of the strike are low pay, which could be the lowest for similar work in Ontario and as much as $4 less per hour than comparable facilities in Thunder Bay, and a majority of the workers being employed on a casual basis, where they have no guarantee of hours or benefits.
More than 20 of the striking workers were present in the gallery in city council chambers. Some of them were visibly in tears, particularly during the playing of a nearly five-minute video that has more than 130,000 views on social media, featuring some of the striking workers sharing their experiences working at the clinic.
Coun. Larry Hebert emphasized the purpose of council’s action is not to favour the union.
“This is pretty innocuous. It’s not favouring one side or another. It’s just asking them to get back to bargaining a fair settlement,” Hebert said.
Health centre management have not issued any public statements since the strike began. No representatives from the clinic were in attendance at the meeting.
