Essex County inside and outside workers vote to strike, joining paramedics in threatening job action against the county

Essex, ON – Members of CUPE 2974.1 who work for the County of Essex have voted in favour of strike action after months of bargaining marked by demands for concessions and delay tactics from management.

The bargaining unit includes workers at the Essex County Civic Centre, the regional landfill, the Kingsville transfer station, and the recycling centre. This is the second CUPE unit to signal the possibility of job action in Essex County this summer after paramedics, represented by CUPE 2974.2, called for a No Board in July.

At the heart of CUPE 2974.1’s demands is equitable treatment between union and non-union workers. To address long-standing recruitment and retention challenges, Essex County brought all non-union and management workers up to the 60^th percentile of neighbouring municipalities with a roughly 18 per cent wage increase. They have claimed that doing the same for CUPE 2974.1 members is impossible.

“We’re not asking for special treatment, only to be given the same consideration that non-union workers received,” said Lindsay Simpson, unit VP for CUPE 2974.1 and a scale operator. “Instead, management is telling us we’ll have to wait until the end of a new contract to reach that same target.”

Under the County’s proposal, unionized workers would not reach the 60^th percentile until 2028, meaning they would be at the 2025 market rate three years late.

“That is not a plan to catch up, it’s a guarantee to stay behind and it will mean that skilled workers will continue to look elsewhere.” said Simpson. “They gave themselves raises and are now telling frontline workers that similar treatment is unreasonable.”

This unequal proposal follows a budget cycle where Essex County councillors approved 137 percent increases to their own salaries.

“CUPE members who have our paychecks signed by Essex County recognize the pattern here: it’s one set of rules and one pool of money for councillors and management, and a separate, smaller pool for workers,” said James Jovanovich, president of CUPE 2974 and a paramedic member whose bargaining unit also voted to authorize a strike.

One of the County’s key concession demands is a change related to generic drug coverage that would shift costs onto workers and reduce the flexibility of their coverage. The County, meanwhile, has refused every proposal to improve benefits, including increases to eyeglasses, dental crowns, and chiropractic coverage.

“This vote is about fairness, respect, and the future of public services in Essex County,” said Simpson. “If the County wants to keep experienced workers and attract new ones, they need to stop treating unionized workers as an afterthought.”

The two sides are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on August 26.