Like more than 300 of their co-workers at Salvation Army facilities in Toronto, the frontline workers at the Salvation Army Islington Seniors Centre have voted unanimously to join OPSEU.
“Smart move,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “These members care deeply about helping support seniors who are facing homelessness, and now they’ve got one of the province’s biggest and most powerful unions to help them do their valuable work.
“With his cuts to minimum wage, legal aid, and social services, Doug Ford has declared war on the poor,” said Thomas. “But joining a union built on democracy and solidarity, these workers are ready for fight for the most vulnerable. It’s a battle that together, we’ll win.”
Opened late last year, the Salvation Army’s Islington Seniors Centre currently has 45 beds with plans to expand later this year to 90 beds.
“Homelessness and poverty are increasingly urgent issues in Toronto and across Ontario,” said Kareen Marshall, chair of OPSEU’s Community Agencies Division. “On behalf of our entire division, I’d like to welcome these new members, and congratulate them for taking a strong stand for the services they provide.”
OPSEU First Vice-President / Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida applauded the new members’ decision to join OPSEU.
“The Finance Minister’s budget makes it clear that this is a government that cares more about profits than people,” said Almeida. “But by joining OPSEU, these workers can count on our full strength and solidarity as they work to ensure that no people are allowed to fall through the cracks.”
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