Clear Medical Imaging employees return to work after strike ends

Employees at Clear Medical Imaging are expected back on the job Monday after the eight-week long strike came to end on Dec. 20.

A decision was made to send the dispute to binding arbitration after the union and employer failed to reach an agreement after working with a provincial conciliation officer for more than three months, and members soundly rejected a forced vote initiated through the Ontario Labour Relations Board by 96 per cent.

Unifor Local 2458 represents 130 workers from across 11 Clear Medical Imaging locations in Windsor, LaSalle, and Tecumseh, Essex, and Chatham.

The employees include X-ray, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine technologists, clerical and administrative staff.

Local 2458 president Ken Durocher says only a handful of employees will report to work Monday.

"I don't think all of the locations will be open Monday, Tuesday, it's more to get everything in order for January 2 to start scheduling appointments and to deal with the backlog that's been caused over these last nine weeks."

He says since the strike began on Oct. 25, an unspecified number of members quit their position specifically due to ongoing strike action.

"We have lost a few members that have went back to the hospitals and other jobs, that could affect some of the clinics being open immediately."

Durocher says his members are happy to be returning to their jobs.

"Is it the perfect scenario we wanted them to return to work to, no, but we believe at this time it's the best senario that'll get them back to work and try to get a collective agreement with this employer."

Wages, benefits, mandatory overtime, job security, and the contracting out of services are key issues in the labour dispute.

When reached for comment on employees returning to work, Clear CEO Michael Reinkober directed all inquires to the company website.

~ Dustin Coffman, AM800 News