Police intervene as striking Community Living London workers picket at hotel housing replacements

Picketers who support individuals with developmental disabilities saw tensions reach a boiling point on Tuesday. CTV London's Gerry Dewan reports.

Police were called to a south London hotel Tuesday morning to clear a path for replacement workers being housed there amid an ongoing strike by Community Living London (CLL) employees.

Tensions continue to escalate as unionized workers, represented by OPSEU Local 166, maintain their picket line, now targeting the Four Points Sheraton where replacement staff are reportedly staying.

Members of OPSEU Local 166 arrived at the hotel around 6 a.m. Tuesday, establishing a picket line aimed at preventing replacement workers from leaving the premises.

OPSEU 166 President Lisa Fewster, told CTV News the union’s objective was to halt the movement of “scabs” being housed at the hotel.

“They still have the scabs here living at the Four Points Sheraton. So we, our members came out this morning and set up the picket line and shut it down so they couldn’t get out,” Fewster explained.

The picketers, who support individuals with developmental disabilities, were positioned to impede vans carrying replacement workers to group homes.

Fewster emphasized that the union’s actions were not intended to disrupt the hotel, its staff, or its clients. “We were letting the community in and out. There was no interaction with the community. If they wanted in, we just gave them a pamphlet if they chose, gave them the information and let them go,” she said.

London police arrived on scene around 8 a.m. to facilitate the departure of the vans and requested the picketers disperse, which they ultimately did.

Fewster acknowledged that the situation has led to increased friction between the striking workers, the replacement staff, and security personnel hired to escort them.

“Tempers rise on both sides. And it’s you know, it’s pushy. It got pushy this morning,” she admitted.

The strike, now in its fifth week, involves OPSEU members from 27 locals across the province. The union is appealing directly to Premier Doug Ford to intervene in the dispute.

“Doug Ford could end this and get us all back to work. He’s the one that has got the power to make the decision. We’ve been working on it. We’ve offered what we can for results, and he’s the one that just needs to decide, get us back to work and end this whole strike province-wide,” said Sandy Garnham, an OPSEU 166 bargaining unit member.

The crux of the labour dispute centres on pay adjustments following the Ford government’s Bill 124, which initially froze public sector salaries.

Although courts have since deemed the bill unconstitutional, opening the door for many employee groups to secure a 6.5 per cent retroactive salary increase, CLL workers claim they have not received comparable compensation.

The union contends that unlike sectors with provincial collective bargaining, community living employers often struggle to meet such demands due to chronic underfunding.

Union members have indicated they are not ruling out future actions, including a potential return to the hotel site.