Months-long strike disrupts disability care, pushing Ontario families to the brink
Roughly 4,000 workers are off the job as families say cancelled supports and group homes have forced them into full-time caregiving.
- On Thursday, approximately 4,000 workers represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union remain on strike, halting group homes and developmental-disability services across Ontario since the spring.
- Ontario Public Service Employees Union president JP Hornick alleges the government "stonewalled" negotiations, while the Ministry claims "historic investments" of nearly $4 billion this year support the sector.
- Parents like Linda Umlauf and Annie Fayyaz report their children are regressing and experiencing increased anxiety, struggling to manage medical needs without essential support services.
- Families report insufficient communication from the union and Ministry regarding when services might resume, with parents worrying about the upcoming school year as children repeatedly ask about September.
- The province's financial accountability office projected a $1.5 billion funding shortfall for the Ministry in 2025-26, reaching $3.1 billion by 2027-28, fueling structural tensions driving the dispute.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Community Living Trent Highlands Staff Returning To Work Following 10 Week Strike Action
KAWARTHAS-Developmental service workers who support people living with a developmental delay / intellectual disability in Lindsay, Haliburton and Peterborough will be back on the job following a 10 week strike action. Over 300 members of OPSEU 358 hit the picket lines on May 25th. It was part of a broader province wide campaign called: Worth […]
Months-long disability worker strike leaves Ontario families struggling
Linda Umlauf has maintained a rigid schedule for her high-needs autistic daughter since the London, Ont., group home where her daughter lived shuttered in May, as social and community service workers walked off the job. She takes Nicky Umlauf, 28, to the beach on Mondays, shopping and swimming on Tuesdays, and other activities the rest of the week, with a packed itinerary planned around her daughter's interests and need for routine. The mother a…
The Toronto Star
Months-long strike disrupts disability care, pushing Ontario families to the brink
Linda Umlauf has maintained a rigid schedule for her high-needs autistic daughter since the London, Ont., group home where her daughter lived shuttered in May, as social and community service
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