Villa Colombo Hires Replacement Agency Workers during CUPE 5525 Strike, Puts Residents and Public at Risk
Article content
TORONTO — Villa Colombo Homes for the Aged Inc. has hired replacement agency workers in response to the ongoing CUPE 5525 strike.
Article content
Article content
Personal Care Workers at Villa Colombo's Supportive Housing Unit began their strike action on Wednesday, May 28; instead of moving towards a resolution of outstanding issues, the employer has decided to disrespect workers and residents alike by replacing CUPE 5525 members at the home.
Article content
The absence of a provincial anti-scab law in Ontario is needlessly prolonging strikes, as employers' use of job-stealing replacement workers puts both the public and workers at risk.
Article content
Agency workers are not trained or certified to the standards of Personal Care Workers with CUPE 5525. Some residents have already mentioned that they are unhappy with the sudden replacement. Villa Colombo workers are trained to a high standard of care and have longstanding relationships with residents in the supportive housing unit.
Article content
In addition to their lack of experience and training, replacement workers are more expensive overall than CUPE 5525 Personal Care Workers. Not only does this decision by Villa Colombo management hurt the residents and staff, but it also hurts their own bottom line when they hire these outside agency workers to replace CUPE 5525 members.
Article content
Outstanding issues in the strike include paid sick days and health benefits for part-time workers, no reductions in paid sick days for full-time workers, and no changes to the existing scheduling system. The employer has refused to agree with the union on these items. Workers are conducting this strike to defend the health and safety of both themselves and the residents alike.
Article content
A picket line is being held weekdays from 8:00am – 4:00pm at 3010 and 3050 Dufferin Street in Toronto, just outside Villa Colombo.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Aviation museum in Edmonton close to buying its historic home
The Alberta Aviation Museum is working with the City of Edmonton to buy Hangar 14, a historic WWII airplane hangar. An Edmonton museum is close to owning its longtime home, which is a part of Canadian war history. Hangar 14, located on Kingsway near 117 Street and 114 Avenue on the grounds of the former Edmonton Municipal Airport, has been home to the Alberta Aviation Museum for more than three decades. The 84,400-square-foot warehouse has been for sale since October 2023, after the City of Edmonton decided not to spend $41 million renovating it. The city received offers from three other potential buyers but decided to negotiate with the museum. Hangar 14 is the only one of its kind remaining in Canada from the Second World War and is a protected provincial and municipal historic resource, meaning both the city and the province would have to approve any additions or alterations to it. 'It's not a simple buy and sell like you would for an average everyday house,' Jean Lauzon, the executive director of the museum, told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday. 'There's a number of conditions that need to be met, and we're in the process of figuring out those timelines and those dates. 'We'll be able to sign off on the agreement soon.' Lauzon said the museum hopes to complete the transaction by the end of August.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Waste program in Waterloo recycles used chopsticks into furniture
Furniture and accessories… made from old chopsticks? CTV's Karis Mapp finds out how it works. A waste reduction program in Waterloo is giving used chopsticks new life. The initiative, ChopValue, transforms the utensils into a variety of furnishings, including shelves and desks. 'Around one-third of the world uses chopsticks everyday, with 80 billion being produced in China alone,' explained Monique Chan, ChopValue's community builder. 'We're only using them for 20 to 30 minutes and throwing them straight to the landfill,' she said. With the program spanning largely across the Greater Toronto Area, a student housing building in Waterloo is one of the latest locations to install collection bins. Two receptacles can be found in the food court of 203 Lester Street, a building owned by Asset Maintenance Pros (AMP). 'I didn't think it would take off as much as this has, but our residents are really engaging with the sustainability program,' said Roxane Bernhard, AMP's senior property manager. Organizers said the building was a perfect fit because the program resonates with the consumer's culinary elements. 'There are a lot of international students. There's a growing East Asian population, and with that comes a lot of demand for more cuisine that uses chopsticks as a utensil.' Since launching in Waterloo during fall 2024, 13,852 chopsticks have been recycled. That's lead to 42 kg of waste repurposed and up to 674 kg of CO2 emissions reduced. How it works Once someone has finished eating their meal, they can toss their used chopsticks into one of the bins. From there, the utensils are transported to a manufacturing facility in Niagara Falls. That's where they're made food-safe, dried and molded into uniform tiles to be used for future projects. 'We have a system of micro-factories across the world,' said Chan. 'Any orders that are put through our system are then shipped directly from the closest micro-factory to your address. That way, we're able to cut emissions.' Anyone can purchase a variety of home and office furnishings on the ChopValue website. They also accommodate custom orders. 'They already are a study material, bamboo in general. It's really easy for them to reprocess, remanufacture and make them into sustainable furnishings,' said Bernhard.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Piikani members pray for healing of Crowsnest Lake amid fish consumption advisory
A fish consumption advisory remains in effect for Crowsnest Lake. The Alberta government says this is due to selenium levels from old coal mines. Members of the Piikani Nation gathered at Crowsnest Lake in southwestern Alberta on Tuesday to pray for the body of water to heal following the issuing of a Fish Consumption Advisory. The advisory, posted to the My Wild Alberta website, says 105 fish from Crowsnest Lake were analyzed for mercury and trace metals in 2024, and a preliminary assessment of the results indicated consumption of brown trout, lake trout and mountain whitefish 'should be limited' due to selenium levels. 'The public should consider limiting consumption of these fish species from Crowsnest Lake at this time,' says the site. 'Further investigation is ongoing.' Speaking to CTV News on Tuesday, Piikani Nation member Harley Bastien said water is described as the 'veins and blood' of mother earth by Indigenous people. 'We are water,' Bastien said. 'Our bodies are water, and we are just trying to protect our bodies – not only for ourselves, but for seven generations ahead.' A new study from Alberta government scientist suggests old coal mines on the eastern slopes of the Rockies are leaching chemicals that are poisoning fish downstream. It also suggests any new coal developments could result in 'population collapse' of fish species in a nearby lake. 'We called on the water spirits that live in the water,' Bastien said. 'We prayed through them, we communicate with them, and in turn, they have they're own ways of communicating.' The new study measured selenium levels in fish from Crowsnest Lake, which is fed by creeks connected to Tent Mountain and Grassy Mountain – both former coal mine sites. In a statement, Evolve Power -- formerly Montem -- which owns Tent Mountain, said it is 'in compliance with all applicable provincial and federal regulatory requirements including those prescribed in the environmental protection and enhancement act approval. 'The Crowsnest River Valley contains multiple towns and is a major transportation corridor with significant agricultural and industrial activity, including quarrying by others, all of which may contribute to selenium levels being above naturally occurring levels.' Northback says the Crowsnest Lake issues are unrelated to its Grassy Mountain project. The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) said in a statement to CTV News, 'If selenium is flagged as a concern through sampling, inspections, or an EPA notification, the AER can order the licensee to increase monitoring, control or halt water discharges, and implement a mitigation plan. 'Throughout a mine's entire life cycle, operators must demonstrate that any treated water they release meets the stringent limits set by both provincial and federal standards.' Landowners on the Eastern Slopes say if selenium is found in former mine sites, new exploration is only going to repeat itself. 'The government knew this and yet in all of their communications they've indicated there is little or no concern about selenium contamination from open pit coal mining,' said Mike Judd, who owns land near Beaver Mines. The AER told The Canadian Press that it has directed Evolve Power to submit a 'selenium management plan proposal' that targets reductions in selenium in mine-affected water. Evolve was to submit that plan by July 31 of last year, but the AER said it granted the company an extension to March 31, 2026. Those at the prayer ceremony say that's unacceptable. 'Water is everything to the Indigenous people,' said Bastien. CTV News reached out multiple times to the office of the minister of environment and protected areas for an interview but never received a response. - With files from Canadian Press
