Strike Action Continues at Lennox and Addington Interval House in Napanee – Kingston | The Canadian News

The striking Lennox and Addington Interval House workers are calling for a return to the bargaining table. This comes after 20 unionized workers rejected the employer’s latest contract offer.

With picket mascot Stanlee by his side, week five of the strike begins for unionized employees at Interval House in Napanee. And despite the change in the weather, those on the line continue to believe in their cause.

Brooke Phillips, chair of the interim unit of the bargaining committee, says: “I think we actually felt more resolute with our decision than even at the beginning. We feel more connected as a team and more confident that what we are asking for is valuable and that we will be at it in the long term if necessary. “

Unifor Local 414, which represents 20 workers, says that negotiations broke down when management’s final offer did not include more than 20 previously agreed-upon changes, and made no effort to improve workers’ core issues in terms of labor levels. staff, union representation, health and safety and return to working language.

Interval House Napanee Executive Director Sue Weir says: “Right now we are at a standstill. We made an offer to the union on November 17th which they rejected and did not present anything else, so things are still up in the air.

“We are not sure where it is going, we are waiting for the union to respond and bring us an offer.”

Phillips, meanwhile, offered his opinion.

“We would love to come back to the table and really have a conversation about where we are at a standstill because I struggle to understand what would be negative about protecting the women who work here now and also the women who come after us. ”Says Phillips.

And while this is obviously not the norm for the location, the managers are doing the best they can.

“We are still up and running so our shelter is still open, operational and currently at capacity,” says Weir. “We are still operating crisis line services, we are moving people in and out of transitional housing as it becomes available, and we support people who live in that program, as well as people who live in the program. community counseling “.

The current collective agreement expired more than a year ago, and until the two parties sit down and find a solution to the current deadlock, the strike continues.