Victory for over 170 Paramed workers in Kitchener Waterloo!

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September 13, 2017

Congratulations to some of the newest members of UFCW Local 175 from Paramed in Kitchener Waterloo.

These new members fought to bring justice to their workplace by joining the union. Our new members are RNs and RPNs who are home health care workers servicing the Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge areas.

These workers were split into 2 groups which could easily be described as the haves and have nots. One group were receiving better wages and benefits than the other and shifts were also scheduled unequally. These workers, who are required to travel between homes, stated they were not being paid for all of their travel time. Plus, they were sent home without pay when clients cancelled last minute.

“This employer was making it very difficult for workers to improve their position. Workers are expected to quit one group before they can apply to the other better paid group,” said Union Organizer Ali Farman.

“There is no guarantee or even reassurance they would be rehired to either group once they quit. It leaves the workers with little hope for advancement.”

Workers also stated favouritism was strong in the area of preferential scheduling but felt that when they brought their concerns to management it was dealt with as insubordination. These workers are there to provide a service to their community members when they need it most but had no voice with their employer.

They now stand united to demand respect from their employer, and the union is going to stand with them to achieve that.  Congratulations and welcome to the Local Union for ALL Workers!


In health care facilities, it is the front-line workers who shoulder the responsibility in caring for patients. Find out why Health Care workers benefit from belonging to our Union!

Want to find out more about joining UFCW Local 175? See some of the benefits of voting Union Yes!

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