More than 320 workers at the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO) are on the brink of striking after nine months of unsuccessful bargaining.
Represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) Local 454, these workers include front-line child protection staff, child and youth counsellors, administrative support, and IT workers. They face a strike deadline of July 6, 2024, at 12:01 a.m.
“We’ve been sounding the alarm on deteriorating conditions for years,” said Michele Thorn, President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 454. “Workers are going above and beyond their job descriptions to fill the gaps left by a government which neglects to fund other community agencies just as it neglects us – and still, kids are slipping through those gaps at alarming rates.”
According to Thorn, the current working conditions are unsustainable and unsafe for the children, youth, and families that CASO supports. The union and employer held a final conciliation meeting on Tuesday, but talks broke down when it became clear that key issues, such as protections against mass layoffs and wage improvements, were not being addressed.
“The employer has communicated imminent mass layoffs that we can’t afford – and neither can the families we support,” said Thorn. “We’re already struggling with high rates of burnout as we try to keep pace with increasingly complex cases amidst dwindling resources. Layoffs will have disastrous consequences for workload and only make it harder for staff to keep families together.”
The union argues that low wages are exacerbating a recruitment and retention crisis at CASO, putting further strain on remaining staff. Thorn emphasized the economic challenges faced by workers, particularly given the rising cost of living. “Last bargaining round, our hands and our wages were severely tied by Bill 124. The employer promised they’d help us ‘catch up’ next time – it’s always next time, but we’re struggling now. This work isn’t getting any easier and we need to be resourced to meet the challenges head-on.”
OPSEU/SEFPO Local 454 insists that the agency must prioritize fulfilling its mandate to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and youth, and that this starts at the bargaining table. The union also criticizes the Ford government for its inaction and underfunding of Children’s Aid Societies across the province.
“If Ford truly cared about children, his government wouldn’t keep putting the most vulnerable kids in our communities at risk – hundreds in Ottawa region, thousands across the province – by continuing to underfund Children’s Aid Societies,” said JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO.
As the strike deadline approaches, CASO workers are prepared to take their concerns public and to the picket line if necessary, highlighting the urgent need for improved working conditions and resources to support their critical work.
