Deaf and hard of hearing organizations call for Canadian Hearing Services to get back to the table and end the 7-week strike
TORONTO — Missed medical appointments, missing hearing aids, and all manner of services for Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Ontarians missing in action: that is the result of a seven week long strike at Canadian Hearing Services (CHS). Now two leading Deaf and hard of hearing advocacy groups are calling attention to the deleterious impact on their already marginalized communities.
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In an open letter recorded in American Sign Language by Vanessa Floros, treasurer of the Ontario Association of the Deaf (OAD), and viewed more than 2,000 times online, the OAD makes clear that they have reached out to CHS' management about the deep and painful disruption Deaf people are experiencing but have not received a response.
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The silence we have gotten from CHS is heartbreaking. As the stories, the concerns, complaints and anger pour in, we have seen them. Some of us have, as Deaf citizens, responded and tried to help, but we too have been suffering with the loss of our therapists, our interpreters, our support system, and our independence. We do not place blame on the strikers […] After consulting with the Deaf community, it must be made clear that the strike is now a human rights issue.
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The open letter concludes with an impassioned plea: 'With the silence of CHS, we, your biggest consumers, the Deaf community, mourn the decline of an organization that once brought joy, hope, and independence to us and we place the blame solely on those that refused to communicate, refused to let us help, and refused to let our community thrive.'
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The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association's own letter addressed directly to Accreditation Canada and the ministers responsible for funding the agency echoed those concerns: 'It is distressing to witness the deterioration of access to essential programs and support mechanisms for a community already facing systemic barriers.'
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The two bargaining teams last met on May 21 during which time CHS management refused to put forward an offer, refused to consider the members' proposals, refused to agree to new dates to bargain, and insisted that four unreasonable demands be met, including a media blackout, before negotiations resumed. Since then, they have ignored repeated requests to get back to bargaining.
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'This support means so much to workers. We desperately want to get back to the table to get a good deal so we can get back to doing jobs that contribute to the joyful lives of Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people,' said Mara Waern, president of CUPE 2073 and an employee consultant with more than 30 years' experience at CHS. 'For that we need a willing partner. CHS put these roadblocks in place and it's only CHS that can remove them. We're grateful to have leaders in the Deaf and hard of hearing communities in our corner.'
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