A strike by Community Living London workers is nearing record territory, with no end on the horizon. OPSEU 166 members have been on the picket line for nine weeks, matching a nine-week strike in 2007. They say they’re focused on wages and benefits, starting with compensation lost after a 2019 provincial law froze public sector wages. The bill was later struck down by the courts, and other public sector unions have since received 6.5 per cent increases for lost wages. The head of the London local says members are committed to the strike and want the provincial government to get involved in negotiations. “Our rationale is we want the funder at the table because unless the funder’s at the table, nothing has changed with the employer. Right. They made it abundantly clear from day one that they don’t have the money,” said Lisa Fewster, OPSEU 166 president.
