After hitting a major roadblock in bargaining last month, workers at four of the province’s Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) have voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.
Negotiations between the LHINS and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) resume December 15.
“With these vote results, we will return to the table determined to achieve a fair and reasonable contract,” said Julie Lenko, chair of OPSEU’s LHINs central bargaining team.
“Those who work in the home and community care sector do this work because we care about our patients first and foremost, but proper patient care depends on respect for frontline workers.”
This is the first round of bargaining for LHINs workers since Queen’s Park integrated all of the province’s Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) into the LHINs in June 2017.
OPSEU represents more than 600 community health care professionals employed by the LHINs across four regions including the North East LHIN.