"Noooooooo It's like they Joined Red Cross"

MISSISSAUGA-BRAMPTON - 160 employees at Victorian Order of Nurses join SEIU
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Ontario’s top home care union continued to grow after 160 VON workers in Mississauga/Brampton joined SEIU on April 21, 2009. SEIU Local 1 Canada, representing nearly 6,000 home care workers, is the largest home care union in Ontario.
“SEIU won the certification vote by 83 percent,” said Ken Evett, lead organizer for the campaign. “VON workers overwhelmingly supported SEIU because of our union’s excellent reputation in the home care sector.”
Ken also stated that many workers at VON were not happy with the lackluster support home care receives from the provincial government. Lack of funding hinders their ability to provide quality health care their clients depend on.
The VON workers were excited to join the fight to improve home care in Ontario.
SEIU Local 1 Canada is an Organizing Union that represents more than 46,000 health care and community services workers in Ontario. Its members work in hospitals, home care, nursing and retirement homes and community services.

Taken from SEIU Loucal 1. Web page.


NOOOOOOO, it more like they joined Red Cross:

That’s too bad: Workers at Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) are in for a surprise: It is almost four months since they are members of SEIU and they may still be waiting for another eight months before the get close to a collective agreement they can ratify. Trust me if it happens before the twelve months that means some sweet deals will have to be made to complete the process of getting a signed, sealed and deliver agreement on SEIU’s part.

Let’s make note of life before SEIU. VON community homecare workers have or had one of the best working conditions known in community homecare. Their pay, well, everyone always wants more, but the truth is they were paid better than Red Cross workers. They had a pension, benefits (not Global), they had full time, part time and casual positions to choose from, paid travel they had what we once did (before SEIU), now that will all change. The only known and mutual issue the workers had with VON management was Respect and Recognition and Favoritisms. Which are tangible issues and one should be able to get by with their day-to-day work a union can’t settle tangible issues not when you don’t even work with your employer in the community. SEIU should have been able to let them know this…. UNLESS…SEIU truly believe that they can get them more….more than what they got us over the course of how many years now? They will lose everything to be re-negotiated at the bargaining table. Ooops there goes pension! And Ooops Global’s in like a dirty shirt! SEIU will take that over to benefit Global who can’t seem too offer anything good to community workers. That’s one reason why Red Cross is smiling form ear to ear and won’t even answer any question to do with benefit (see your “stewards” as I have been told who, have no real info to share from SEIU and Global). When it comes to recognition and respect SEIU could tell you a thing or two about those issues they are the best in the business in showing favoritisms and no respect when it comes to their own employees. It’s too bad no one thought about asking the organizers about their treatment with SEIU. Let’s not forget that SEIU had not settled their contract with the Representative’s (Rep’s), Organizers and other workers employed by them, it’s been some months now they have been working without a contract…How hypocritical is that my sisters and brothers a union fighting a union (Teamsters vs. SEIU).

I would be very interested in what was the skit the organizers said and promised while they went door knocking. They should have told them to hang on to what you got baby these are tough times to take a chance to lose anything that you got…..and a good chance you have to start all over again.

Let us pray for our now new sisters and brothers. …That the twelve months runs out and they can continue with what they have and let SEIU organize the workers that really need help with their employer. Such as, workers working 7 days a week 12 hrs. per day shifts with no over time pay, paid minimum wage and need a sounding board where health and safety standards are not even known. There right under their noses in Ontario that’s whom they should be fighting for. The union movement is more than just collecting dues SEIU!! ---“Any way’s that’s my take on it”.

Sorry VON…should have done some homework talk to Red Cross workers and asked about our contract, the implications with CCAC and not answer your door. Also, don’t forget to ask the question of the 160 workers at VON how many came out to vote to make 83%. They are so funny!!! We will talk numbers later: