CUPE: Julia Dumanian once again raising alarms among workers as she forgoes bargaining and threatens a lockout at Canadian Hearing Services

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For any other employer, it would have been an unprecedented move: on the first day of conciliation, on the first day of bargaining, before any negotiations had even been taken place, they called for a No Board. But this is typical behaviour from Julia Dumanian and Canadian Hearing Services (CHS).

“Since taking over as CEO in 2015, there’s a deep feeling among workers that she’s tried to weaken our ability to advocate for ourselves while reducing the services we provide. This is a new low, but it follows a familiar pattern,” said Andre Crepeau who worked at CHS as a Communication Devices Specialist for 28 years and recently retired. “To workers, it feels like she has no interest in negotiation and all that matters to her is public perception and profits.”

Dumanian’s salary has increased 178 per cent over nine years. In that same period, workers’ wages have gone up just 12 per cent. While Dumanian takes home $340,250 every year, workers’ paycheques have lost significant buying power, falling 16 per cent behind inflation.

CUPE 2073’s roughly 200 members do vital, often invisible work. As counselors, audiologists, speech language pathologists, interpreters, and others, they help Deaf and hard of hearing Ontarians land and succeed in jobs, do house visits to outfit assistive devices, provide sign language interpretation and much more.

“This used to be an employer of choice. People wanted to spend their careers here,” said Crepeau. “But it doesn’t feel that way anymore. There’s a sense that there’s no future here, no pride in the service workers provide. That feeling is pervasive because workers feel constant pressure to churn through clients as if they are just numbers in a balance sheet.”

In response to the call for a No Board, CUPE 2073 members held a strike vote in which over 85 per cent of members participated and 146 voted to strike.

“Julia Dumanian took over a half million dollars in severance after she was terminated from Cambridge Memorial Hospital. That was after racking up over $160,000 in food and travel expenses in two years alone. Now she’s taking $340,000 a year from another government funded agency and it raises questions of her priorities and values as a leader,” said Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. “But the buck can’t stop with her. CHS is vying for a shiny check mark from Accreditation Canada. They depend on a good rating from Charity Intelligence. They rely on the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for Funding. All of those groups need to take a good long look at an employer that neglects the well-being of their workers. And if she dares lockout these workers, CUPE Ontario’s 290,000 members will be there alongside this group once again.”

A No Board was issued on April 8, meaning both sides will be in a lawful job action position by April 25, the same day the two sides return to conciliation. CUPE 2073 members remain hopeful that a fair deal can be reached without stopping their critical services.

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