Leading Labour Groups and Deaf Organizations Question Canadian Hearing Services Rating as Strike Drags On

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Ontarians still desperately without services, community allies, labour groups, and elected leaders have delivered an open letter to Accreditation Canada questioning the high rating received by Canadian Hearing Services (CHS).

The letter reads, in part: “The situation at CHS has been deteriorating for years, a decline felt not only by workers but also by clients. […] These problems are not minor. They are structural. And they are the result of a leadership model that has consistently prioritized executive pay and centralized control over staff well-being and service delivery.”

Along with hundreds of community members, high profile signatories include:

• Marit Styles, Leader, Ontario NDP
• Laura Walton, President, Ontario Federation of Labour
• Fred Hahn, President, CUPE Ontario
• JP Hornick, President, OPSEU/SEFPO
• Tamara Witcher, President, OSSTF D30 representing workers at E.C. Dury, Robarts and Sir James Whitney Schools for the Deaf
• Patricia Grenier, President, Northern Ontario Association of the Deaf
• Brad Evoy, Executive Director, Disability Justice Network of Ontario
• Sherry Caldwell, Founder, Ontario Disability Coalition
• Les Sicoli, Representative, Ottawa Deaf Seniors

CHS first sought the stamp of approval from Accreditation Canada, a respected standards body in the medical community, when Julia Dumanian took over as CEO. Coming from the hospital sector, Dumanian brought a medicalized model to CHS which clients have noted severed ties between the Deaf community and the agency while treating Deafness as a disability instead of an identity.

The letter ends with a plea for Accreditation Canada to take into account labour relations at an agency that is currently experiencing its second prolonged service disruption under Dumanian’s leadership.

“What does it mean for an agency to receive exemplary standing when Deaf clients are saying they’re not having their needs met? It’s not just this strike, which CHS forced on workers and CHS has shown zero interest in resolving. For years, CHS has been moving in the wrong direction, putting distance between itself and the Deaf community while undervaluing the very workers who deliver their critical services,” said Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario. “That sentiment among the community CHS is meant to serve should make Accreditation Canada question the agency’s rating.”

Workers at Canadian Hearing Services, represented by CUPE 2073, have been on strike since April 28. There have been no talks since May 21 with CHS refusing to return to the table. Members remain focused on a fair, multi-year deal that provides stability for workers and improved services for Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Ontarians.

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