Villa Marconi engaged in union busting as agency staff are hired to fill union positions

OTTAWA – The union representing staff at Ottawa’s Villa Marconi are calling out their employer’s union busting tactics after discovering agency staff filling in for laid off union members. Members in the laundry department were unceremoniously laid off by management in June, leaving the department short-staffed and under resourced.

“We are seeing the same mistakes all over again,” said Andrea Werlen, Recording Secretary for CUPE 4739. “Our employer has been refusing to meet with the union, won’t come to the bargaining table, and now they’re contracting out our work and sending our members home. We won’t let this go on.”

The union has been without a collective agreement since 2023, with bargaining grinding to a standstill since December of 2025. Since then, the employer has cancelled every meeting scheduled with the union to address the outstanding issues. Members held a rally in June to protest the announcement of the layoffs in the laundry department.

“We are going to pursue all avenues to protect our members’ rights,” added Werlen. “We do this work because we care for this community. We won’t be disrespected by our employer like this.”