/R E P E A T -- Media Advisory - Care Partners workers to hold info picket Mar. 13 in advance of strike deadline/

ST. CATHARINES, ON, March 12, 2015 /CNW/ - One week before they will be in a legal strike position, workers for Care Partners in Niagara and Norfolk counties will hold an information picket Mar. 13 to press their demand that management get serious about negotiating a new contract.

The employees, represented by Local 294 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, have been attempting to negotiate a first contract for 19 months. They say management at Care Partners, a for-profit and privately-owned community home care agency under contract to the CCAC, has demonstrated no willingness to bargain a collective agreement.

The union, which represents about 140 full-time and part-time workers in the region, says labour relations at Care Partners are among the worst found anywhere in the home care sector in Ontario. The workers are seeking to set an hourly wage rate, set sick time allowances (they currently have none) and set basic health and safety provisions. Management continues to deny their employees these basic rights.

Care Partners delivers nursing services including oncology, dialysis, pediatric, wound and diabetic care in the community.

DETAILS
Date:	Friday March 13
Time:	11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location:	149 Hartzel Road, St. Catharines
Information:	Chris Terreberry
	Chair, OPSEU Local 294  / Tel: [phone]

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

Chris Terreberry, Chair, OPSEU Local 294, Tel: [phone]