After over a year of bargaining and without notice, Deer Park Villa Inc., has notified the Minister of Labour that negotiations with CUPE 4552 have reached impasse. This unexpected action follows months of bargaining where the bargaining committee had to fight off concessions, secure hours of work, and fight for fair wages.

“We’ve been without a contract since September 30, 2022, and while bargaining has progressed slowly, the declaration of impasse took our bargaining committee by surprise. Just days earlier, the employer had removed a number of their concession items from the table and talks had progressed to monetary discussions,” said Carol Kollman, vice-president of CUPE 4552. “Our members provide incredible care to people living with disabilities in Ituna. But with wages falling so far behind the rising cost of living, it’s getting harder and harder to make ends meet.”

Deer Park Villa employees have also been denied annual wage increases for ministry-funded third-party service providers. This funding, intended to be a wage top-up from the Ministry to support frontline CBO workers, has been withheld from employees since 2021 pending a conclusion to bargaining.

Despite Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky expressing concern that these increases are being withheld from workers in the CBO sector, he has taken no action to ensure CBO employees get the wage top-ups they deserve.

CUPE 4552 represents employees providing support to people living with intellectual disabilities in Ituna.

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