canadian hearing society workers remain on strike at kingston branch
services for people with hearing impairments have been reduced as cupe seeks a two-year contract, the chs offers a one-year deal
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striking cupe workers walk a picket line in front of the canadian hearing society office in kingston, ont. on tuesday, may 13, 2025.
(elliot ferguson/the whig-standard/postmedia network)
elliot ferguson
/
the whig-standard
kingston — striking workers at the canadian hearing society remain on the picket line as the strike entered its third week.
about half a dozen local workers are among about 200 members of cupe local 2073 provincewide who have been on the picket line since april 28.
wages are the biggest issue dividing the two sides.
the society offered a one-year contract with a two-per-cent wage increase, while cupe negotiators are seeking a five-per-cent wage increase spread across a two-year contract.
the two sides last met on may 6 and were to meet wednesday.
in the meantime, local sign language interpreters, deafblind intervenors and employment consultants remain on the picket line on gardiners road.
“there are people going without interpreters for surgeries. there are people who have other major life events that don’t have access to interpreters right now, or to support staff that would be able to help them with housing, with resources, any of that,” said striking american sign language interpreter courtney drummond.
“you’re talking about a community that is already isolated from a lot of the general knowledge that hearing individuals have access to. it’s just such a huge harm done to the community and it’s not right,” drummond added.
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“i’ve walked into a surgery where individuals don’t know necessarily if there is going to be an interpreter, and i can see how stressed they are, and the second they see me, i see their shoulders go down, i can see them take a deep breath and they go, ‘ok, i’m gonna be okay.’ ”
in response to a whig-standard inquiry, a society spokesperson referred to a statement made when the strike began where it said the union rejected the society’s offer of a one-year contract with a 4.9-per-cent increase.
“to protect the long-term stability of our organization and safeguard the services we provide to a vulnerable population, canadian hearing services proposed a generous renewal offer for a one-year collective agreement with the union. this proposal includes an overall compensation increase of 4.9 per cent over the prior year, reflecting our ongoing investment in the wellbeing and security of our staff,” the society stated.
“it is deeply concerning that cupe local 2073 would abandon an almost five per cent, year-over-year increase in a time of tremendous provincial and national economic uncertainty.”
but drummond said the society’s offer expired 24 hours after it was presented and didn’t provide enough time to present it to the union members, many of whom have hearing loss themselves and require accommodations that could not be arranged in that time.
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during the strike, the society said services would be provided on a priority basis.
“those aren’t the messages that i’m seeing people in the deaf community,” drummond said. “assignments are being canceled last minute or potentially without any notice at all. there are harms happening to the community while we’re out here and we just want to get back so that we can provide service and make it accessible.”
the canadian hearing society office on progress avenue in kingston, ont. on tuesday, may 13, 2025.(elliot ferguson/the whig-standard/postmedia network)
elliot ferguson
/
the whig-standard
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