This local represents employees of the Canadian Federal government departments of Social Development Canada and Human Resources Development Canada, within the Income Security Programs branch who work in Chatham, Windsor and Sarnia in Southwestern Ontario.
This local was created in 1985 with the opening of the Chatham Regional office of Income Security Programs. Previously all the membership in Southwestern Ontario was represented by one local, NHWU 00032, which stretched in the west from Windsor to as far east as Hamilton and St. Catharines. It was decided that the needs of the membership would be better served by having a more geographically limited local, and this local was created.
The local draws it's name from the counties within it's jurisdiction (Essex, Lambton and Kent) and is, therefore, also known as the "ELK" Local, taking that name from the initials of those three counties.
