Thunder Bay District Health Unit 3 - Acadia Broadcasting Files

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit and the Canadian Union of Public Employees are meeting with a Ministry of Labour conciliator.

They are working to reach an agreement over a new contract for the health unit’s frontline workers.

Heading into the discussions, workers voted 99 per cent in favour of strike action to back demands.

The union says working conditions is one of the key issues.

“It’s important to recognize that without the relentless efforts of CUPE 1759, the Thunder Bay District would have faced even more extensive devastation during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Katy Johnson, president of CUPE 1759, in a release. “Our members, who are not only committed public servants but also parents, caregivers, and individuals with compromised immune systems themselves, persevered to support the communities they hold dear.”

The meetings with the conciliator are taking place today and tomorrow.