Families looking for answers as strike continues for staff at Surrey Place

After being diagnosed with profound hearing loss when she was nine months old, Alex Karayannides says the therapy his now two-year-old daughter Riley has been receiving at Surrey Place, a non-profit health organization that supports individuals with developmental, auditory and visual disabilities, has been game-changing.

But six weeks ago, all those services were paused when staff at the facility went on strike.

“She has really been excelling, so to know that that has stopped has really been alarming and not only for our family but dozens and dozens of other families,” he tells CityNews.

“Every parent will say you just want everything for your kids, you want them to be happy and healthy, so to know that there’s a resource who can support in that journey that’s unavailable right now is devastating.” 

OPSEU, which represents the workers, says staff are striking for better long-term funding and fair pay adjustments after years of capped wages under the province’s Bill 124, which was found unconstitutional in 2024.

OPSEU also points out that the Surrey Place employees are among nearly 4,000 public sector workers currently on strike.

A provincial spokesperson with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services tells CityNews that Ontario has made significant financial investments in the development services sector over the last few years, adding, “While collective bargaining is a matter between the employer and the union, we expect every service provider to have strong contingency plans to protect residents and ensure their care is not disrupted.”

In a statement, Surrey Place tells CityNews that “Most families they support have experienced significant changes to their services”

Karayannides says he has been forced to find alternate treatment programs during the ongoing strike, and he’s had to pay out of pocket for those.

“We are fortunate enough to be able to find some private help, but that isn’t necessarily the case for a lot of families, and you grow bonds with these people; they’re helping your kid have mainstream communication and grow up and overcome these challenges, so you grow very attached to them.”