Workers in group homes, womens shelters, crisis intervention centres, child cares and other community service agencies are sending the provincial government the message: Were worth more!
Workers and supporters will be marching, holding rallies, leafleting, and picketing MLA constituency offices in at least eight communities across the province. Ten community service workplaces have held job action votes and will be off the job today.
Community service workers are angry about chronic low wages and benefits for the provinces some 10,000 employees of community-based agencies.
We earn on average $10.00 an hour less than someone doing comparable work in a government department, says Gail Tiefenbach, an employee of Help Homes in Regina.
The provincial government has underfunded our agencies for years, forcing our boards to pay low wages and offer few, if any benefits, she says.
The employees are demanding an immediate and significant increase for wages and benefits, and a commitment to raising wages to public service levels within the next four years.
Day of Action events are taking place in Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Nipawin, North Battleford, Melville and Yorkton.
The Day of Action is being coordinated by three unions the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union (SGEU).
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For more information contact Gail Tiefenbach at 789-8854.