Concerns arise as residents of several Greater Toronto Area group homes are relocated to a new facility without consent, leaving families anxious for their well-being.
Central West Specialized Development Services, a community supporting adults with developmental disabilities, made the move of residents from homes in Burlington, Halton Hills, Mississauga, and Oakville to its main Oakville facility as a precaution in case of a strike by support workers.
Following a request for a “no board” report by workers represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, the employer faced the possibility of a legal lockout beginning on Oct. 9.
Sheree Burnett, whose son Jay Gualtieri, diagnosed with autism, resided in a CDSWS facility in Oakville for over a decade, expressed her distress over his relocation to the main Oakville home in early October. She feared the disruption to his routine and well-being caused by the sudden move.
CDSWS CEO Patricia Kyle emphasized that relocating residents to the central Oakville facility was a weighty decision made to ensure ample staff would be available to provide uninterrupted care in case of a potential labor unrest.