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Fired workers return to Community Living Association for South Simcoe, issues resolved between union and employer

March 23, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Three recently fired employees at Community Living Association for South Simcoe (CLASS) have returned to work after CLASS and the OPSEU/SEFPO union resolved issues surrounding their termination.

The three CLASS employees were fired after a Jan. 23 rally to raise concerns about working conditions, specifically violent incidents that CLASS employees said they are not trained to deal with.

While CLASS employees said they were concerned about violence in the workplace, CLASS management said they were “subjected to a compliance” audit by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and received “positive feedback about our work environments, internal procedures and support conditions.”

After the three workers were fired, OPSEU/SEFPO union members staged a rally in front of the CLASS Dufferin Street office in Alliston on Mar. 7 to support the terminated employees.

Union members stated they won’t “stop until the fired workers get their jobs back and health and safety issues are addressed.”

On Mar. 15, CLASS and OPSEU / SEFPO released a joint statement saying the three employees will be returning to work.

“CLASS and OPSEU / SEFPO acknowledge the importance of protecting the safety of all CLASS employees while protecting and safeguarding the interests and privacy of the people that CLASS serves,” the statement said. The statement continues, “appropriate measures have been put in place to deal with the concerns that led to the dismissal of the employees. CLASS and OPSEU/SEFPO have committed to a process to support the health and safety of CLASS staff.”

Out of respect for those involved, the statement said there will be no further comment about the circumstances giving rise to the terminations or the resolutions for the terminated and re-hired employees.

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