Rally held in Brockville, Ont. for striking Family and Children’s Services workers – Kingston | 24CA News
Striking staff at Family and Children’s Services of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville held a solidarity rally in Brockville on Wednesday.
Close to 100 individuals confirmed up for the rally in assist of kid safety staff and assist workers.
Members of CUPE Local 2577 have been strolling the picket line since final Wednesday.
The native’s president says staffing has been decreased, whereas workloads have elevated and wages haven’t.
“We’re working longer and longer hours, weekends, evenings until midnight and not getting compensated for that work — so it’s like volunteer work,” says Arlette Carrier, president of CUPE Local 2577. “We worry about our kids that are in vulnerable families.”
The govt director for Family and Children’s Services of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Erin Lee Marcotte, admits workloads have elevated and the employees’ notion of administration’s provide is that it could not appear cheap.
But she provides in mild of the operational funding cuts over the past seven years, and extra anticipated to return, they’ve supplied what they will.
“We receive what we receive, and we are expecting another 2 per cent cut this fiscal year, and another 2 per cent in our operating funding next fiscal year,” says Marcotte.
CUPE’s nationwide president Mark Hancock and CUPE Ontario’s president Fred Hahn turned out to the rally to assist their members which can be strolling the picket line.
Hahn says they’ve negotiated contracts with different household and youngsters’s companies in different areas of the province.
“What we’re saying to this employer is look, don’t fight your workers, come and work with us,” says Hahn. “Let’s go fight to get appropriate funding that is needed for important work.”
Since the kid safety staff and assist workers walked off the job, there have been no negotiations.
“We have had, just today, some conversations with our mediator,” says Marcotte. “So, we hope that she can be of assistance in getting the parties back to the table.”
Both the Ontario and nationwide CUPE presidents got here with their cheque books in hand, and collectively contributed $15,000 to CUPE Local 2577’s hardship fund.
It is cash that’s undoubtedly wanted, with no negotiations scheduled within the quick future.
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