Canadian Hearing Services Workers
Fighting for a Fair Deal & Vital Services

By 

Julia Dumanian made $311,500 last year. This was a 13 percent raise over the $275,000 she made the previous year, and a 155 percent increase over her starting 2015 salary of $122,276. The organization that Dumanian is in charge of is Canadian Hearing Services (CHS). That’s a lot of money for the head of a non-profit primarily funded by the Ontario Government.

The frontline workers at CHS deliver crucial services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community; services they rely on when they visit the doctor, take a class, or appear in court. These workers are members of CUPE 2073. The 210 members work as interpreters, counsellors, instructors, audiologists, employment consultants, intervenors, IT, and administrative personnel at CHS. More than a quarter of members are Deaf and 90 percent are women.

CUPE 2073’s Collective Agreement expired last year and they are currently at an impasse with Dumanian in negotiating the new agreement. The employer walked away from the bargaining table on November 15. As a result, members have been forced to prepare for job action.