CLPE Strike Hard on Everybody 

In response to recent public statements by Community Living Prince Edward (CLPE), the frontline workers and members of the bargaining unit wish to share the reality of what is happening on our picket lines, our continued commitment to this community, and the deep systemic issues that brought us here.

We want to directly acknowledge that this labour dispute has had a profound impact on everyone involved. It has disrupted the lives of community members, local businesses, management, bargaining unit members and the people we support. No one wanted a strike. A strike is a symptom of a system that is breaking down, and we recognize the strain this impasse has placed on the entire fabric of Prince Edward County.

Community Living Prince Edward has been a pillar of our community for generations. For decades, it has stood as a beacon of inclusion, support, and care. We love this organization, and it is our deepest desire to see it remain a strong, viable, and trusted part of the County for generations to come. But to ensure its future, we must protect the foundation upon which it is built: its workers.

To understand why we are standing on a picket line, we must look at the quiet, exhausting realities that are our everyday norm.

Imagine waking up, saying goodbye to your family, and arriving at work at 7:00 AM for what you expect to be a demanding, 12-hour, single staffed shift supporting 5 adults with intellectual disabilities. You give everything you have to the people you support. Then, at 6:00 PM, just as you are preparing to go home to your own dinner table, your own children, and your own bed, you are told that due to severe staffing shortages, you cannot leave. You are told you must remain at work for 24 hours straight. No pension to look forward to, no increased staffing levels to look forward to, and no guarantee of getting your vacation days you’ve requested (due to low staffing). It’s been like this since COVID and it hasn’t gotten better;  there is no relief on the horizon. 

How long can a worker sustain that level of exhaustion? How fair is it to the vulnerable people who rely on alert, rested staff? Our members have sacrificed their own health and families to keep the doors open. Staff can no longer carry this burden. We cannot continue to burn ourselves out to mask a structural crisis.

There are more than 100 agencies across Ontario facing the same issues. The provincial government and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services must address the chronic underfunding of the human services sector. However, local leadership must also join us in sounding the alarm rather than asking frontline staff to absorb the shortfall at the expense of their well-being.

We have been overwhelmed by the support shown by the Prince Edward County community. Every day, neighbours stop to chat, bring refreshments, honk their horns, wave, and share words of encouragement. That support reminds us why we do this work; this community values the people we support, and they value the workers who stand by them.

Many of the people we support, though disrupted by the picketing, also visit picket locations to connect with staff they know and trust. When people feel comfortable and welcome, they often choose to come outside, socialize, share stories, enjoy the sunshine, and spend time with familiar faces. 

We will continue to advocate for fair wages, a respectful workplace, and a sustainable future, because we believe the people we support deserve experienced, dedicated staff who can afford to stay in this profession. High turnover and staffing precarity is driven by low wages and unsustainable working conditions. Those are the real threats to the quality of care in Prince Edward County.

We remain hopeful that a fair agreement can be reached at the bargaining table, and we look forward to returning to the work we love.

Opseu Local 448-CLPE

Of Jails and Paper Trails

Re: Paper Trail (Editorial, June 10). The June 10th paper turned my stomach for two reasons, both of which tell me the government of Ontario has lost sight of what’s important and in the public interest.

The editorial, “Paper Trail,” documented the abuse Picton Terminals continues to inflict on County land and water. Coupled with the Ministry of Natural Resources’ dereliction of duty, private citizens have only one route to end the illegal exploitation of County resources—through the courts. 

Shame on the Ministry for bowing out and for ignoring the impact such operations can have on a destination Condé Nast Traveler rated as one of the best places to go in the world in 2026!

And then a full-page ad paid for by the Government of Ontario boasts, “A safer Ontario means building new jails.” That’s a shocking admission of how cuts to government social and educational programs and services fail all of us by not identifying and helping people early to address challenges they face. 

Suggesting incarceration will make us feel safer insults our intelligence.

JC Sulzenko, South Marysburgh