Employees of the Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) have been on strike since March 6, their first since being, unionized in 1943. These workers perform a very valuable service for thousands of deaf and hard of hearing people who rely on them for counselling, employment help, interpretation, hearing aids and communication devices.
The union and CHS management started negotiating three years ago; the workers haven't had a contract or a wage increase for four years. They have maintained a sick bank that let them carry over unused sick days into the following year. CHS wants them to cut back to six paid sick days a year and bring in a short-term disability plan for anything longer which the employees have, quite understandably rejected.
Ninety per cent of the union membership are women who, one can assume, have families to support. It's enough to make anyone feel bitter just to think the working class fight for years to get benefits like paid sick days and then see management try to eradicate them. I'm sure they would just "love it'' if the government suggested cutting their fat salaries.
Though naturally enough, Socialists hope the strikers prevail, we nevertheless realize the limitations of union activity which at best will bring an improvement into their lives under Capitalism. A greater improvement would be its abolition so there would be no need for anyone to strike.
Steve and John.
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