Contract talks between the Windsor Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) and CUPE 543.03 are set to resume next month. CUPE 543.03, which represents nearly 125 workers at the health unit, will meet with the employer for a second round of conciliation on September 24. The workers have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2025. At the end of July, the workers voted unanimously in favour of strike action. Wages remain the key issue at the table, as the union says workers have fallen behind inflation after receiving one per cent annual increases during four years of their last two collective agreements. They are seeking a 15 per cent wage increase over three years. Leah Murphy, bargaining unit chair for the union, said they already meet the needs for a no-board report from the Ministry of Labour, if it comes to that. She says not much has changed since the two sides met with the conciliator on July 29. “We’re kind of in that same spot. We do have a unanimous vote. We do have a second date for conciliation to meet with the employer dated for September 24th. We’re hoping to come to the table and make some good headway.” Murphy says the union is prepared for all outcomes. “We’re organizing. We continue to organize in the event that maybe talks break down and strike actions needed, but we always hope that it does not come to that.” She added, the community support means everything and they’re trying to stay positive. “The support always means a lot, especially considering what our CUPE workers do in their communities. Really, we are the preceptor to even our public healthcare system. So when we’re doing our jobs, we’re keeping people out of hospitals and whatnot. So we’re taking that pressure off of other public services.” According to Murphy, a strike date still has not been set. Among wage increases, the union is also seeking improvements to benefits and contract language. The unionized workers include public health inspectors, social workers, oral health specialists, and tobacco and vaping enforcement officers. They carry out work including restaurant and beach inspections, monitoring drinking water systems, delivering health programs and helping prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
