St. Catherines, ON - Child protection is being compromised because workers whose priority is the safety and well-being of at-risk children are overloaded and morale is suffering, say CUPE Local 2328 negotiators heading back to the bargaining table with Family and Children’s Services Niagara today.
“At-risk children in our community need the agency to act now by dealing with case work overload and by improving workplace conditions to better attract and retain sufficient numbers of qualified and dedicated staff,” said CUPE Local 2328 President Jamie Coring.
“These workers want to move forward and get a contract and resources that will help them to help the children and families they support,” said Coring, “but that’s only going to happen when the employer realizes the pressures hurting the agency don’t come from the workers but are due to a lack of funding from the provincial government.”
CUPE National Representative Michael Stokes agrees. “Let’s face it,” Stokes said, “the reality is that working conditions impact on ability for workers who are already stretched to do their jobs and their job is protecting children. That’s the message our members will take to the bargaining table.”
CUPE Local 2328 represents 270 front line workers and support staff at Family and Children’s Services Niagara working out of offices in Niagara Falls, Welland and St. Catherines.
Contract talks between CUPE and FACS Niagara began in April 2009.
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For information contact:
Jamie Coring: President CUPE 2328 905-321-8275
Michael Stokes: CUPE National Representative 905-650-6693
Kathy Johnson: CUPE Social Services Coordinator 416-272-6698
Chris Watson: CUPE Communications 416-553-9410