More than 200 workers at Mon Sheong Long-Term Care joined SEIU Local 1 Canada at an union certification vote held on November 16, 2010.
“Fairness and respect is the reason why they joined SEIU,” said Thomas Li, one of the lead organizers on the campaign.
Now Mon Sheong employees, along with SEIU’s support, can begin to prepare to bargain their first collective agreement with their employer to improve their wages and benefits, as well as being treated with fairness and respect.
“Respect is a big issue at Mon Sheong,” added Li. “Employees want to be treated like equals.”
Mon Sheong is the third long term care facility staffed by predominately Chinese-Canadians to join SEIU in recent months. SEIU has a tradition of breaking through barriers to give workers a voice. The Chinese-Canadian community is just the latest. For example, SEIU was the first union in Ontario to help organize workers in Ontario’s hospitals.
SEIU Local 1 Canada is an Organizing Union that represents more than 50,000 health care and community services workers in Ontario. Its members work in hospitals, home care, nursing and retirement homes and community services.