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Workers at the Atira-owned Sherbrooke Heights independent living facility in Peterborough have voted unanimously to support strike action as wage talks stall.
CUPE Local 5129, representing 34 staff, held a strike vote after what the union describes as “no meaningful movement” from the employer. Local president Heather Blackburn says workers are underpaid and overstretched.
“The employer runs a skeleton crew, pays us at or just barely above minimum wage, all while jacking up the rent on the residents. It’s not right,” she said, noting some workers have only seen raises tied to minimum wage increases.
Blackburn says the vote sends a clear message management must return with a fair offer. “We care about our residents, we love our work, but we can’t keep up this pace for poverty wages.”
