Workers with the Choices for Youth facility on Bond Street in St. John’s are now on strike.

The nine employees at The Lilly, who have been at odds with the employer for over a year in their attempts to win a first contract, walked off the job this morning in a legal strike

The Lilly is a 14-unit congregate living supportive housing facility for young people operated by Choices, a non-profit organization which receives funding from the provincial government.

NAPE President Jerry Earle can’t believe the situation has come to this as they have heard nothing from the employer since going public last week. Choices is in the process of preparing a response.

Earle says the workers would want nothing more than to provide support, care and mentorship to the people at The Lilly, but they will not continue to allow the employer to stonewall.

He says some workers in the organization got a bump in pay last year but the workers who were at the bargaining table did not receive it. They’re looking for compensation for the months that they did not receive the pay-bump.

The main picket line is at the Choices facility on Duckworth St. but there is also a picket line at the Lilly. About 12 people currently reside there.