Family members of adults with autism in the care of a Greater Toronto Area charity are asking the province to intervene after their loved ones were relocated without consent due to a labor dispute.
Since 2012, Christine Burnett’s nephew, Jay Gualitieri, 35, has resided in a Central West Specialized Developmental Services (CWSDS) group home in Oakville.
But in late September, he and other CWSDS reThe residents were moved from their group homes in Mississauga, Milton, Georgetown and Burlington to the charity’s headquarters at 53 Bond St. in Oakville, according to the support workers union involved in the dispute.
Loved ones say they were given no choice in the matter.
“Where was the consent?” Burnett asked while speaking with CBC Toronto. “They have removed all residents from the safety and predictable routines of their group homes.”
Now, she and other concerned family members have released an open letter to Premier Doug Ford, asking him to help their loved ones retire.return to their previous group homes, to relatives environment and daily routines “with staff who know how to best support them.”
The premier’s office did not respond to CBC Toronto’s request for comment.
It is unclear how many residents were relocated.
Family members say CWSDS told them the relocation was to prepare for a possible lockout or strike in an ongoing dispute between CWSDS and support workers, who provide care to residents in their group homes.
In a post on the union’s website ThursdayThe next day, OPSEU Local 249 explained that CWSDS management requested a “no meeting” report from the Ministry of Labor, triggering a countdown to the lockout. The union says CWSDS has had the legal ability to block workers since October 9, but workers have not voted on the strike, meaning the union is not in a legal position to strike.
On Wednesday, union members rejected a “last offer” in a vote forced by the Ministry of Labor.
Charity did not respond to requests for comment.
CBC Toronto made multiple attempts to contact CWSDS via email and phone, but did not receive a response by deadline.
Meanwhile, residents’ families say they feel like they are being used as bargaining chips.
Rabia Khedr’s brother, 50 years old He already lived in Oakville, before five other residents were relocated there.
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“He’s a social butterfly,” she told CBC Toronto. “He loves wanting to help people and being involved. But you know, this is too much even for him.”
Khedr feels the move violates the rights of his brother and other residents.
In a news release, the family group said it had brought its concerns to Robert Lattanzio, executive director of the ARCH Disability Law Center.
In the statement, Lattanzio wrote: “It is unacceptable that people with disabilities, in violation of their rights and with the potential for devastating consequences, are removed from their homes without their consent as a way of navigating an evolving labor dispute.”
Disruptions to routine can have negative consequences.acts: families
Those consequences include negative impacts on residents’ health, as well as confusion and anxiety that can lead to aggressive reactions, Burnett said.
“[My nephew’s] He is six foot four and probably weighs 240 pounds. So if he gets angry… he can be difficult to deal with,” she said. “But with a stable environment, like he’s had in his current group home for several years, he’s really done very well.”
Another concern for many family members is the CWSDS’ promise to hire temporary agency staff in the event of a lockout or strike.
That has the potential to further alienate residents, Khedr said.
“The people who support them are usually their best friends and family. That’s how they feel about them. Those relationships are built over years,” he said.
Burnett also questions how well trained those temporary workers will be.
In response to concerns raised in this story, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services provided a statement to CBC Toronto saying: “Collective bargaining is a matter between the employer and the unions that represent employees.
“The ministry requires agencies to develop a contingency plan, which identifies possible alternative courses of action, while ensuring the safety, health and well-being of staff and those receiving services during a service interruption.”
