Community Living Prince-Edward staff picketing outside Loyalist College, as clients temporarily housed in College residence

Staff with Community Living Prince-Edward are on strike as of today.

Roughly fifty people, including full-time and part-time staff and allies from other unions, are picketing outside the Pioneer Building/Residence entrance at Loyalist College in Belleville, off of Wallbridge-Loyalist Road.

The team is outside Loyalist, because clients of Community Living Prince-Edward, who normally live in group homes, are now being housed at the College Residence.

Kimberly Mayer, President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 448, and Victoria Robinson, Vice-President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 448, spoke to 91X on the picket line today.

Mayer and Robinson said that clients were notified sometime over the weekend, that they “would be going on vacation with access to a pool.” They add that they were not told where they were going, and were picked up by managers and sent to Loyalist College Residence to live. It remains unclear how many clients, who have development disabilities, are at the College. Overall Community Living Prince-Edward supports over 60 clients who are in group home settings.

Community Living Prince-Edward also supports others through their independent living and family based programs.

Mayer and Robinson add that staff have been bargaining since the fall, and are in a legal strike position as of today. They plan to picket outside Loyalist College to raise awareness about where their clients are.

There are currently no bargaining dates set. Across the province, over 4,500 workers gave their strike notice at the beginning of the month.

Staff with Community Living Prince-Edward are calling on better wages and working conditions. Robinson noted that Ontario Government’s Bill 124, which imposed a 1 per cent wage freeze, was recently struck down as unconstitutional. The local team added that they are understaffed and forced to work double shifts, which leads them to have to work 24-hours straight.

Those on the picket line have not reported any safety issues so far today, as they are briefly stopping drivers before allowing them to cross into the College.

91X has reached out to Community Living Prince-Edward and Loyalist College for comment.