Car rally supporting ROW paramedics, public sector workers held in Waterloo Region
A car rally was held on Monday to support contract negotiations for paramedics, social assistance and other public workers in Waterloo Region.
The rally was scheduled to start 12 p.m. outside the Region of Waterloo headquarters at 150 Frederick St. in Kitchener.
Public health staff involved in the region's vaccine rollout are also included in this group of workers.
"We also have public health, so not the nurses, but all the administrative support, which many, many of these people are working in the clinics," said Noelle Fletcher, president of CUPE Local 1883. "We are really concerned about that. We do not want clinics to be affected, but this is where we are at."
Nearly 1,200 unionized workers with CUPE Local 5191 and CUPE Local 1883 are looking for a new deal with region.
In a news release, the union says heavy workloads, work-life balance, job security and mental health are key concerns in contract talks.
In a news release Tuesday, regional officials said negotiations will continue this week. They added they understand the potential impacts of a labour disruption if an agreement isn't reached and said they won't prohibit staff from crossing the picket line to work.
According to the region, there are contingency plans in place to ensure essential services continue to operate.
If a strike does occur, they said child-care services run by the region would need to shut down.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.