Contract negotiations between health care workers and management at Brouillette Manor, a long-term care facility in Tecumseh, are at a standstill.
The members of Unifor Local 2458 held a rally Tuesday afternoon to demand a fair and equitable agreement.
"This employer is treating these essential long term care workers with such disrespect at a time when we all know they are COVID heroes,” said Tullio DiPonti, president of Unifor Local 2458. "To be seeking unfair concessions shows they are not serious about wanting to negotiate a collective agreement."
The two sides have been negotiating the terms of the agreement since the end of October.
According to the union, they proposed modest changes to the collective agreement that were immediately rejected by the employer's legal representatives.
"I saw nothing but hurt and pain on the faces of these COVID heroes when the bargaining agent diminished their worth and referred to them as, 'administrative burdens', which was genuinely disheartening," said Chris Taylor, Unifor national staff representative. "Long term care workers look after the most vulnerable in our society, and they do it with compassion, pride and selflessness, and when they come in front of Brouillette Manor to bargain a fair agreement they are made to feel worthless."
The union is calling on management to return to the bargaining table and reach a fair agreement.