Protest at the Montfort Renaissance in Ottawa- without a contract for 6 years

OTTAWA, Oct. 16, 2015 /CNW/ - CUPE will hold a demonstration at noon on Friday October 16, at the Montfort Renaissance, which is located at 162 Murray Street in Ottawa. The demonstration draw attention to the 6 years workers there have gone without a collective agreement.

The Montfort Renaissance provides support for mental health recovery, withdrawal management, housing for vulnerable and aging individuals and other key services.

"Our members care for people with mental illness, people with addictions, people who are homeless, people who are aging. It has been out of respect for their vulnerability and because their needs are our first priority that we have not spoken up publicly about our frustration with a bargaining process that has not resulted in a contract after 6 years of negotiations," says Jacynthe Barbeau, the representative elected to represent staff at Montfort Renaissance. "After so long without a collective agreement, this situation is seriously undermining the self-esteem and the morale of these gifted caregivers. It is surely time for management to work hard and finalize a collective agreement for our members."

"Staff at the Montfort Renaissance offer service with compassion and great skill. They put the people they care for first every day. But after 6 years of bargaining they are taking a few minutes today to respectfully ask that the employer conclude these contract talks and dignify their hard work," says Laurin Levesque, president of CUPE Local 4721, which represents staff at the Centre.

"Montfort Renaissance is certainly a leader in providing mental health and other services, but it sadly lags every other unionized social service agency in Ontario in terms of the effectiveness of its labour relations," says Louis Rodrigues, Vice-president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE." It should not take anyone 6 years to negotiate a contract."

SOURCE Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (CUPE)

Jacynthe Barbeau: Vice-president, CUPE Local 4721: 819 351-2704; Laurin Levesque, President, C.U.P.E. Local 4721: 647-921-7895; Louis Rodrigues, Vice-president, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE: 613-531-1319; Stella Yeadon, CUPE Communications: 416-559-9300