As the Children’s Aid Society of Nipissing projects a $5-million deficit, the union representing its workers is calling on the agency to take a hard look at where its resources are going instead of continuing to demand that frontline workers do more with less.
CUPE Local 2049 represents workers who provide critical services to children, youth and families across the region. While workers are struggling with rising costs and increasing workloads, the union says some members of management have received salary increases of more than 25 per cent over the last 5 years, according to recent data available on Ontario’s sunshine list.
“At a time when frontline workers are being asked to carry heavier workloads, we are seeing significant increases in compensation for some members of management,” said Meaghan Spykerman, President of CUPE Local 2049. “Our members are struggling to keep up with the cost of living, and many are doing more work with fewer people. They deserve fair wages too.”
The union says the agency has been reducing bargaining-unit positions through attrition and laid off three additional workers this past spring. Meanwhile, staffing shortages have become so severe that contractors are now being used regularly at a significant cost while the workload continues to fall on fewer frontline workers.
“This is a workforce that is stretched to its limits,” said Spykerman. “You cannot continually cut frontline positions, lay off workers and rely on contractors, and then wonder why there isn’t enough capacity to provide the services our communities need.”
The union also notes that the shortage of foster homes the agency is facing is directly related to the current staffing challenges. Recruiting, developing and supporting foster families requires time and sustained relationship-building, which is something frontline workers have less of as workloads increase and staffing levels decline.
CUPE Local 2049 also says the current financial pressures facing the agency are not a new development. The union believes the public deserves a fuller picture of the agency’s financial history, including how deficits and financial pressures have evolved alongside executive and senior management compensation.
“Workers should not be made the scapegoat for financial problems that have been years in the making,” said Spykerman. “If the agency is asking workers and the public to accept a narrative about a financial crisis, then there needs to be transparency about where the money has gone and how resources have been allocated.”
The local is currently in bargaining negotiations with the agency and members are prepared to stand up for a fair collective agreement and for the future of frontline social services in Nipissing and Parry Sound while continuing to bargain in good faith.
“Our members are worth fighting for,” said Spykerman. “They show up every day for children, youth and families in this community. They deserve to be respected, properly staffed and fairly compensated for the essential work they do.”
