A rally was held this afternoon to call attention to striking Port Arthur Health Centre support workers.
Support staff have been on the picket line for three months, calling for higher wages and health benefits.
Unifor National President Jerry Dias came to Thunder Bay for the demonstration, and lead a small crowd of supporters into the clinic.
Dias tells us he feels it’s important to show community support for the 65 women on strike.
“This is about doing the right thing,” Dias emphasizes, “This is about raising the profile of this dispute, it’s about women that are working in precarious, part-time jobs that are being exploited.”
Demonstration organizer Lori Paras says Dias’ visit means a lot.
“Having him here today speaks volumes,” she points out, “It says we’re not messing around. We’ve knocked on the door gently, we’re knocking a little harder, and if you keep doing this, we’re going to start pounding.”
Unit Chair Lori Salmi adds the union leader “really boosts morale” for workers who walked off the job April 9.
We reached out to clinic management following the demonstration, but they declined to comment at this time. (Staff Photo/Video)
