The strike at Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Addictions and Mental Health is now at a record 11th week, with OPSEU Local 441 saying most services remain unavailable across the region.
The union says Brock Cottage and Tennant House have not accepted clients since the strike began, while the agency’s drop-in centre also remains closed.
According to the union, the residential treatment homes provide long-term, abstinence-based care, counselling, skills development and post-discharge support for people across Ontario at no cost. Before the strike, the homes reportedly had wait-lists of more than six months.
Bargaining team chair Magean Plue said the union is again calling on LLGAMH to agree to a binding mediation-arbitration process led by a private mediator, arguing it would help end the labour dispute more quickly than the current ministry-led process.
OPSEU Local 441 represents more than 150 mental health professionals. Staff representative Alex Lane said the union hopes the employer will agree to private mediation and arbitration, noting other agencies have used the process to resolve similar disputes.
