Striking Essex County Library workers are losing their benefits.
CUPE Local 2974, which represents the workers, reports some of their members have been informed by the Essex County library board that their benefits are being cancelled.
Union spokesperson Lori Wightman says CUPE has been picking up the premium for the benefits since the strike began and doesn't understand this move. Wightman says the library board has informed them their benefits are being cancelled.
"It's a little shocking and a little shameful since they haven't been paying for those benefits since the strike began," says Wightman. "CUPE has been picking up the premiums for that so there's really no reason to cut people off. It's just one more level of disrespect for workers that have historically have been nothing but loyal and dedicated, and this is how we're being treated. They would rather starve us out than go back to the table and come to some sort of resolution."
CUPE is working to make sure any needed prescription medications are covered for the striking workers.
Meantime, library CAO Robin Greenall says the withdrawal of benefits is a requirement of the contract with the 3rd party insurance provider, describing it as the regular course of employee assessment.
"As we go through each month, more employees come up to their anniversary date and we would assess their number of hours or actual hours worked which would then determine their eligibility requirement," says Greenall. "There are different types of benefit packages which employees are able to receive so from different providers, both of them have similar requirements which is 15 hours of work for part-time and maintaining 30 hours of work a week for our full-time."
Greenall says the library board has been paying the premiums and invoicing the union for payment.
The 58 full and part-time employees walked off the job June 25th to back contract demands. The key issue in the dispute remains third party insurance coverage for short-term disability.
Today is Day 212 in the strike.