PSWs, RPNs, dietary and activity staff at Collingwood Nursing Home overwhelmingly voted for SEIU Local 1 Canada at a certification vote held on Tuesday, August 17, 2010. SEIU welcomes nearly 50 new members into the country’s top Organizing Union.

“They want power and unity in bargaining with a real union,” said Bastian Williams, lead organizer for the campaign. “These workers simply want management to start listening to their concerns.”

One of the key issues employees at Collingwood Nursing Home want addressed is the need for a real bargaining process. The staff had an employee association which was never treated seriously by management. Whenever the association would present their proposals during bargaining, the employer would dismiss every request they had. These new members also want more consistency with scheduling and other policies affecting staff.

SEIU Local 1 Canada is an Organizing Union that represents more than 47,000 health care and community services workers in Ontario. Its members work in hospitals, home care, nursing & retirement homes and community services.