Voting will take place on February 1st
A home health care strike appears to have been averted as an agreement between ParaMed and its staff could be ratified in days.
A statement released Friday on the OPSEU website said Local 393 had reached a tentative settlement with Simcoe/Muskoka ParaMed Home Health Care.
Local 393 members will have the opportunity to vote on February 1st to accept this agreement.
“The preliminary contract includes higher wage increases than previously offered by ParaMed, the addition of shift bonuses, and improvements in travel time, mileage, overtime, benefits, vacation and bereavement leave,” the statement said.
Emails and voice messages to ParaMed and OPSEU on Friday went unanswered prior to the publication of this article.
On Thursday, January 18, staff and supporters held a rally outside the local ParaMed office at 231 Bayview Dr. where about 50 people held up signs with messages of their concerns.
A union representative at the rally told BarrieToday that they are targeting a 2.5 percent annual wage increase for the next three years.
ParaMed Home Caregivers, who provide personal care such as bathing and hygiene, toileting, dressing, meal preparation and social support to clients living in single-occupancy homes and clients living in residential homes in Simcoe County and Muskoka, currently between $16.67 and earn $19.70 an hour.
The last contract expired on March 31, 2022.
In 2019, workers received a 0.7 percent increase. In 2020 and 2021 they received a wage increase of one percent.
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