Renfrew Reeve Peter Emon (Town of Renfrew photo, Youtube)
Renfrew Council has reignited their calls for both sides of the months-long social workers’ strike to make a deal.
Council passed a motion from Reeve Peter Emon to write a letter to the province, Premier Doug Ford, and Social Services minister Michael Parsa expressing the town’s frustration and disappointment that a settlement has not been reached in the labour dispute that has shut down day programming at Community Living Renfrew County South.
Social services workers have been picketing at CLRCS spaces since late May as part of a province-wide movement that has remained largely at a stand-still since Queen’s Park went on break earlier this summer.
The dispute has put an increased strain on local families caring for members with developmental disabilities, who have had to find the time and means to provide care without the supports that clients rely on them for in structure in their lives.
Emon also moved to create a collection of statements from affected families to send with the letter, but council rejected the idea over concerns that it might be taken as picking sides in the dispute.
(written by Kasey Egan)
