CEO Linda Knight was nowhere to be found yesterday, as OPSEU members held information pickets at seven CarePartners locations across the province.
Home care nurses and administrative staff from OPSEU Local 294 held a province-wide day of action on July 22, 2015 as they enter their fourth month on the picket line. Dubbed, "Where's Linda," the action emphasized the fact that Linda Knight has refused to come to the table to bargain a fair contract.
Nurses and administrative staff are striking for basic improvements to their working conditions: sick days, and an hourly wage. Currently, nurses are paid by the visit only, which can mean earning less than minimum wage for longer visits, and no pay for 1-2 hours of administrative work per day.
Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins was also called to task on Twitter yesterday for allowing an employer who receives public health care dollars to put her profits before front line services to patients.
Picketers in Barrie, Brampton, Brockville, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Toronto and Windsor visited CarePartners locations in their cities at lunch time, handing out information flyers and looking for Linda.
Members of Local 294 travelled to Brampton on the lookout for Linda.
In Toronto, members picketed the building and then attempted to find Linda in CarePartners' third floor suite. No luck.
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The Brockville CarePartners office was closed when the Eastern Ontario picketers arrived.
Picketers in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Windsor and Barrie had no luck finding Linda either, but they spread the word that CarePartners workers need a fair contract now.
OPSEU members will continue to stand in strong solidarity with Local 294 nurses and administrative staff until Linda Knight comes to the table to bargain a fair contract.