Provided a settlement hasn’t been post-deadline, as of Thursday staff at Lennox and Addington Interval House will have been on strike for 20 days.
Approximately 20 union staff workers of the Napanee-based women’s shelter began strike action mid-afternoon on Oct. 29. Represented by Unifor, the workers say the strike was prompted by management failing to acknowledge previously agreed upon health and safety language while also making no effort to address understaffing or low wages.
As with any labour disagreement, both parties have their side of the story and both will do their best to win public support. Who is right and who is wrong can often be a matter of opinion.
Strikes are a lot messier when they involve a critical service-such as the case with Interval House as the non-profit provides a safe haven for women and their children fleeing domestic violence. Fortunately those services remain available throughout the strike. While management has assured the community that there will be no interruption of service, it’s not the same as it would be under normal circumstances.
Shelters for women are always needed but they’ve become even more crucial during the pandemic when there are so few safe spaces for women looking to escape a dangerous situation. A report from CBC indicates data from 17 police forces across Canada reported calls for domestic disturbances rose nearly 12 per cent between March and June of 2020 compared to those same four months in 2019. It’s not hard to imagine domestic abuse victims being at heighten risked during a lockdown-their partners home a lot more and there are so precious few places to flee, particularly those situations with young children involved. One can only hope the ongoing strike hasn’t given any woman thinking of seeking their services a reason to pause.
Though the need is clearly there, simply demanding workers return to their job wouldn’t solve several of the core issues. Wages aren’t the only matter in play-staff burnout from being overworked as well as health and safety concerns are very much a factor. According to Unifor, staff were 100 per cent in favour of a strike, an indication of how important these issues are to those on the picket line. That said, at the end of the day there needs to be enough left in the budget to continue to serve the community.
Staffing concerns in particular need to be addressed because the services are only as good as the staff delivering them. Social service work is not for the faint of heart and brings with it a strain on mental health unlike many other careers. Taking care of those who care for others is important not only for the benefit of current employees, but to convince others to pursue the career in future to ensure workforce can keep pace with demand. Here’s hoping a solution can be reached that both sides can be happy with-acknowledging that the perfect one where both parties get everything they want isn’t going to happen. As nice as it would be to not require places like Interval House in the first place, it’s important those who need it can count on it being there when it really matters.
–Adam Prudhomme