CHS strikers ratify a new collective agreement

Canadian Hearing Services (CHS) workers, members of CUPE local 2073, ratified a new collective agreement after an 11- week strike.

 

“I’m proud we have a new three-year contract that provides increases to our pension and benefits, better wages, mileage rates and a meal allowance,” said Mara Waern, CUPE 2073 president and an employment consultant with 35 years’ experience at CHS. “I’m pleased our members have some peace of mind and I’m incredibly grateful for the solidarity we experienced from the Deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and labour communities.”

 

Throughout the strike, workers said that the action was for their jobs but also for the community of Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community.  Many strikers are community members as well as workers and said that the CHS was a lifeline for them.

 

The CHS was founded as a member-based non-profit in the 1940 and has a strong tradition of member involvement to maintain the organization. CHS provides a range of services including, interpretation services, employment services and mental health support not available elsewhere. One striker said, “Our history is about Deaf people providing direct services to the community from a personal lens as a Deaf person ourselves. That is true accessibility.”

 

Strikers mentioned that one of the reasons that they went on strike was because CHS services and staff have been cut in recent years. “In 2017 we had 500 staff, now we have 200, We are a unique service and we are the support system for our clients” said another striker. “We have to be out here to save our jobs and services”.

 

Strike action pushed the employer back to the bargaining table and achieved gains.