Ahead of an imminent strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Friday, March 22, Regent Park Community Health Centre (RPCHC) workers rallied Tuesday March 19th, with a crowd of community members and allies to demand a fair deal for workers and the patients they support.

These Community Health workers – members of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 5115 – provide critical services and programs for people in Regent Park and surrounding communities including life-saving overdose prevention programs, low barrier support for addictions and homelessness, primary health care and much more under one roof.

Talks broke down after 4 months of bargaining when the employer refused to negotiate a deal that would put patients and workers first. But after 30 years of frozen benefits, the workers are standing firm in their demands for improved wages and benefits, and an internal work environment that is healthy and psychologically safe.

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 5115 Local President Kirsty Millwood says it's not too late for the employer to avoid a strike, by coming to the table with a deal that includes fair, competitive compensation.

Kirsty Millwood claims that they provide vital services to the Regent Park community, but they’re facing a recruitment and retention crisis.” Without fair compensation and healthy working conditions, the crisis in patient care will only get worse," said Millwood. RPCHC workers want to continue serving the Regent Park community, but many simply can't afford to live in the city they work in.

Local 5115 is part of the OPSEU/SEFPO Community Health Care Professionals Sector, representing more than 4000 community health care professionals across Ontario.

By Fred Alvarado Fred is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE