The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has launched a major advertising campaign to demand measures that will stop the bleeding of staff at the Longueuil Housing Office. The organization is caught in a vicious circle where it is no longer able to build or maintain its expertise. Staff turnover is astronomical: 21 of the 33 employees have less than two years of seniority. The theme of the campaign, which evokes the well-known nursery rhyme, is therefore: “OHL employees are passing, passing, will pass… as long as conditions do not change! »
CUPE blames the high inflation of recent years which has considerably eroded the already weak purchasing power of these employees. “Several of them are directly eligible for the social housing programs they administer! That does not make any sense. Some are on the waiting list, others already have social housing, and you can’t blame them for trying to make ends meet,” explains Simon Beaulieu, union advisor at CUPE.
“Their collective agreement expired on December 31, 2022. The renegotiation is now or never to redress the situation. There is openness on the OHL side, but unfortunately, the crux of financing is at the level of the Société d’habitation du Québec and the Legault government. We are therefore calling on the CAQ deputies from the Longueuil agglomeration: Lionel Carmant, Nathalie Roy, Ian Lafrenière, Shirley Dorismond and Isabelle Poulet”, added Simon Beaulieu.
Lasting five weeks, the campaign is broadcast on 103.3 FM, in the Courrier du Sud and on bus shelters in Longueuil. As for the digital component, it uses Bell Media, Quebecor, Meta, YouTube and Google Ads.
The campaign webpage is https://scfp.qc.ca/ohl/
We read that in the midst of the housing crisis, the role of the Longueuil Housing Office (OHL) is more vital than ever. The organization’s goal is to develop, manage and offer quality, affordable housing to low-income families or individuals.
Unfortunately, the number of affordable housing units offered by the Office is grossly insufficient. The management of these leaves something to be desired. This is unacceptable for residents, and it also undermines the work climate of employees, which is another cause of excessive turnover.
CUPE Local 5499 brings together 33 OHL workers. The vast majority are women. Their main job titles are: rental agent, selection agent, rental technician, selection technician, program technician, receptionist, community support worker and technical advisor.
With more than 137,000 members in Quebec, CUPE represents approximately 70% of all municipal employees in Quebec, or some 37,500 members. CUPE is also present in the following sectors: social affairs, communications, education, universities, energy, state corporations and public organizations, air and land transportation, the mixed sector, transportation maritime as well as the fire sector. It is the largest union affiliated with the FTQ and the largest union in Canada.
