Community Living Essex County employees are looking for a new contract to improve their working conditions.
Currently, employees are forced to work overtime if the person coming in to relieve them calls in sick. This has left employees at work hours after their scheduled shift, with one employee forced to stay for 35 hours.
"We are looking for meaningful solutions that doesn't put the onus on the employee when there is a sick call," said Paul Brennan, CUPE 3137 president.
Around 600 employees are working for Community Living Essex County.
"I would say we're still far apart on solutions to this. We do need to see some movement here and some meaningful solutions to the stuck-at-work issue in particular," said Brennan.
Brennan said the agency is down over 100 positions right now, leading to more forced overtime scenarios.
The union and employer are scheduled to meet with a conciliator later this month.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated the workers are in a strike position. The union has not completed a strike vote. Negotiations with the union and the employer continue.
