Toronto – OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas says management at Black Creek Community Health Centre and its Executive Director Cheryl Prescod are attempting to sidestep legal action taken by the union, and is calling on Monte McNaughton, the Minister of Labour, to intervene.
“This bad faith bargaining has gone on for far too long,” said Thomas. “The Labour Board has to take a closer look at what’s going on here, and so does the Minister. Ms. Prescod loves to portray herself as a champion of the community when she sees a CBC microphone, but she is no friend of her front-line staff, who are the real champions of the community, and the pandemic.”
On July 7, OPSEU/SEFPO filed an Unfair Labour Practice (ULP) with the Ontario Labour Relations Board against the community health centre after Executive Director Cheryl Prescod continuously and intentionally derailed the bargaining process.
After another hellish week of bargaining, and preparations by the union to file yet another ULP, Prescod then filed a final offer vote to shut down negotiations entirely when the union and its members didn’t agree to her ridiculous offer; a one-time bonus, instead of the permanent, across the board, one per cent wage increase given to community health care workers across the GTA.
President Thomas noted the irony that Prescod closely aligns herself with the New Democratic Party (NDP) who campaign on a platform to protect and improve working people’s lives.
“Unless Andrea Horwath and the NDP have totally switched lanes, how could someone who is so closely tied to the NDP take advantage of front-line health care workers like this?” said Thomas. “Prescod’s behaviour is a prime example of dirty, under-handed union-busting at its worst. Given the NDP’s stated commitment to front-line workers and equity issues, I doubt the party would be proud to have her in their ranks.”
The strike by roughly 70 unionized front-line workers is into its fifth week because Prescod has rejected multiple reasonable offers from the union and refused to grant her staff the wage increases allowed under Bill 124. Instead, she’s backtracked on agreed upon proposals, and dumped large sums of money into high-priced lawyers and security guards who spew insults at workers on the picket line.
“The hypocrisy of this Executive Director is so shameless it’s breathtaking,” said OPSEU/SEFPO First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida. “She won’t budge on giving her mostly racialized staff an increase that keeps up with inflation, but has been only too happy to use public dollars to jack up her own six figure salary repeatedly and bully workers into submission.”
OPSEU/SEFPO members working in the Black Creek, Jane and Finch area provide essential services that include health care of chronic diseases, health promotion, mental health and addiction supports, vaccinations and rapid testing.
Thomas insists that Prescod’s final offer vote shouldn’t be put through by the Ontario Labour Relations Board until the Unfair Labour Practice is resolved, as this would allow her to circumvent and sabotage the entire bargaining process.
“Our complaint is before the Labour Board and it must be resolved first and foremost,” said Thomas. “Our members deserve a lot better than pitiful Prescod’s got to offer. It’s time for the Labour Board and the Minister to step in and set this straight. I’m calling on Minister McNaughton to do the right thing.”
For more information: Warren (Smokey) Thomas 613-329-1931