Grand River executive pay ballooning yet hospital stalling bargaining

KITCHENER, ON, June 16, 2015 /CNW/ - Health care workers at the Grand River Hospital in Kitchener are organizing a Day of Action to demand their employer return to the bargaining table, after years of wage freezes and ballooning executive pay.

"The CEO of the Grand River Hospital has had a salary increase of over 20 per cent in the last seven years while our members have not had a wage increase since 2011. Our members want to negotiate a fair collective agreement not arbitrate one - Grand River needs to get back to the table," said Bill McLachlan, president of Unifor local 1106.

The number of executives and others at Grand River who appear on publicly-accessible records making more than $100,000 per year has grown from 11 in 1996 to 148 in 2014. Meanwhile, front-line health care workers are experiencing layoffs, and have been asked to do more with fewer resources.

"This kind of treatment is outrageous and these hard-working professionals deserve more than to be given the scraps after executives have had their fill," said Corey Vermey, Unifor Health Care Director. "Health care workers are the backbone of healthy communities and they need the employer to come back to the table with a fair offer."

Unifor has negotiated and ratified several hospital collective agreements so far this year, including those for hospitals in London, Woodstock and Kitchener. The membership at Grand River Hospital deserves a fair deal that is ratified, not arbitrated.

WHERE:	Corner of Park and Green Street, Kitchener
WHEN:	June 16, 2015 - 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
WHAT:	Information picket
WHO:	Bill McLachlan, President, local 1106; Corey Vermey, Unifor Health Care Director

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 305,000 workers, including 26,000 health care workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged.

SOURCE Unifor

please contact Unifor Communications Staff Representative Shelley Burgoyne at [email protected] or (cell) 902-717-7491.