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After nearly two weeks of pressure, Clear Medical Imaging (CMI) has agreed to return to the bargaining table tomorrow. Since October 25, 130 workers at the clinic have been on strike across southern Ontario, in Windsor, Essex County and Chatham-Kent. They are demanding fair wages, job security and relief from mandatory overtime.
Among the workers are X-ray and ultrasound technologists as well as clerical and administrative staff. They joined Unifor by an 87% vote last November but were unable to bring the company to the bargaining table until August of this year.
“Within two months of us certifying in November of 2023, we were reaching out to their employer to get bargaining dates. And it took them eight months to actually give us dates.” Mike Kisch, Secretary Treasurer of Unifor Local 2458 told The North Star.
Bargaining broke down after a few weeks which lead to a 99% vote in favour of striking "because of such a gap between the employer, the union and the members and what they deserve, which would be a fair and respectful collective agreement," said Kisch.
CMI has become the second-largest private health care company in the region since they began operating in 2005. The company has cut its workforce almost in half over the past three years, in part through recent outsourcing of booking to an overseas call centre. This shortage resulted in at least one clinic suspending their X-ray services.
Diagnostic imaging technologists at local hospitals make 10 to 15 dollars more per hour than those at CMI. Kisch tells us that the union is looking to narrow that gap. "Unfortunately, this is one of the consequences of privatizing health care," he said. "It's all a for-profit system."
After little more than a week on the picket line, Local 2458 got word that CMI would be willing to return to the bargaining table on November 8.
In a press release, Local 2458 President Ken Durocher said, "Our members are encouraged that Clear Medical is returning to the bargaining table, but they will not return to work until they obtain an agreement that reflects their commitment to the quality care they provide in the Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent communities."