Data analysts from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre voted overwhelmingly to join SEIU Local 1 Canada on January 25, 2011. SEIU welcomes 33 new members into the union.
“They decided the time was right for some representation in their workplace,” said Ken Evett, organizing lead for the campaign.
The top issue to be addressed is job outsourcing. Many are worried the hospital is making plans to outsource their jobs to a third-party contractor. SEIU protects its members by requiring hospitals to consult with the union first before outsource any work.
“Another big issue was wages,” said Christine Harwart, an organizer on the campaign. “As non-union employees, this group didn’t receive the two per cent wage increase that SEIU members at Sunnybrook benefitted from earlier this year.”