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Workers at the Salvation Army Booth Centre have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate amid wage negotiations.
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Approximately 60 workers at the Salvation Army Booth Centre in Ottawa voted to strike, according to a press release from the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents the staff at the shelter. They work in maintenance, administration and food access, as well as addictions, mental health, and substance use counselling.
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“These workers play a vital role in addressing issues of homelessness and addiction in our community,” said Ruth Lau MacDonald, PSAC’s regional executive vice president, in a press statement. “They deserve a living wage that aligns with what others in the social services sector are making.”
The strike vote was held as wage negotiations continue, but the union says the Salvation Army’s “refusal to offer fair wages risks service disruptions, jeopardizing the critical support that Ottawa’s most vulnerable residents depend on.”
Workers at the Booth Centre make lower wages compared to others working in the same sector, with many positions paying below the calculated living wage for the Ottawa area, the union says.
In 2023, a Booth Centre frontline worker made less than the Ottawa living wage and 23 per cent less than a similar job in the sector, while special care workers make 21 per cent less than similar jobs at Shepherds Good Hope shelter in Ottawa.
In 2024, too, frontline workers at Shepherds of Good Hope were paid 27 per cent more than those for frontline staff at Salvation Army Booth Centre, while the wage gap for housekeepers was 18 per cent, the union said.
“Taking job action is always a last resort, but this strong strike mandate underscores the frustration our members are feeling during this round of bargaining. The people doing this important work in our community should make enough to cover the cost of living in this city,” Lau MacDonald said.
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