Social Services

Community Services Divisional Council
 

December 7, 2011 Momentum is building with the members of Local 666. The employer, Sudbury Child and Family Centre appears not to be interested in its clients or negotiating a contract with its workers. They have been on strike since November 21. . more..

December 5, 2011 The membership of OPSEU Local 666 is currently on strike in a labour dispute with the Sudbury Child and Family Centre (CFC).  more..

November 24,  2011 Social Services, News Fall Issue Health and safety questionnaire results, the fight to protect public services in this issue and more. more...

December 21, 2011 Members of Local 334, KH CAS, have ratified a four-year collective agreement following a seven-week strike against their employer. Highlights of the agreement are now available. more..

December 2, 2011 After a seven-week strike, an agreement has been reached between OPSEU Local 334 members and management at the Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Aid Society (KHCAS). more..

November 30, 2011 Effective December 1, 2011, OPSEU is the official bargaining representative for the staff of the Sarnia-Lambton Children’s Aid Society. This is the result of a merger of the Sarnia-Lambton Children’s Aid Society Staff Association (SLCASSA) with OPSEU.  more..

CHILD TREATMENT SECTOR

November18,  2011 With a Nov. 21 strike deadline quickly approaching, children’s mental health workers in Sudbury and area represented by OPSEU Local 666 held a rally on November 17 to back their demands for job security, improved hours of work, better recognition rights and improved wages. more...

DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES

September 23,  2011 Central Bargaining News - Two weeks before the Ontario elections, OPSEU Developmental Services workers are taking their message to the doorstep of Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services. more...

COMMUNITY SERVICES: Community Agencies

September 22, 2011 The members from Community Living Thunder Bay (CLTB), Local 740 and Avenue II Community Program Services, Local 738 headed to the Thunder Bay Labour Centre today to get their picket signs ready. more...

DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES

September 16, 2011 Workers from Community Living Thunder Bay Local 740 and Avenue 11 Community Program Services, Local 738 voted 96 and 94 per cent, respectively, in favour of strike action if the employer won’t offer a fair contract.  more...

August 8,  2011 Central Bargaining News - 8,000 Developmental Services workers across the province will be considering who will be the best defenders of good jobs and services in this sector when they vote on October 6. more...

August 2, 2011 Central Bargaining News - Ontario Ministry for Community and Social Services (COMSOC) findings back up the World Health Organization report. more...  

July 25, 2011 Central Bargaining News - Ontario’s Developmental Services sector serves many of the most vulnerable in the province. These people deserve continuity of care. Working people are also part of our community. They deserve decent jobs: full-time, permanent jobs that allow them to build a good future for their families. more...  

July 18, 2011 A newsletter for OPSEU members working in Developmental Services, July 18 2011: Wear the wristband: It says you care about Developmental Services. more...

COMMUNITY SERVICES: Community Agencies

July 8, 2011 OPSEU members at Mainstay Housing in Toronto have ratified a three-year contract agreement recommended by their bargaining team.  more...

June 27, 2011 OPSEU members of Local 540 were joined by OPSEU members from the Greater Toronto Area Council, Nancy Pridham and Rod Bemister, region 5 Executive Board members, members of the Power Workers’ Union and Terry Downey, Executive Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Labour and OPSEU staff representatives at their information picket at the Mainstay Annual General Members’ meeting in Toronto on June 22.  more...

June 21, 2011 Members of OPSEU Local 540 Mainstay Housing in Toronto could be on strike as early as Thursday, June 30. .more...

June 20, 2011 Social Services News - A newsletter for OPSEU members working in social services, summer 2011: The theme of our 2011 Community Services Division Plenary at the BPS Conference is “Care for the Caregiver.” .   more...

May 31, 2011  OPSEU CAS members will rally outside their agency offices in seven communities today and will erect workload sculptures highlighting the obstacles staff face in their mandate to “Put Kids First.”  more...

May 26, 2011  The Provincial Discussion Table Team has been involved in discussions with the government, employers and other unions. The parties are set to meet next June 1-3..  more...

May 3, 2011 OPSEU Child and Youth Treatment workers are asking communities to “Take a Stand” with youth, parents and families during Children’s Mental Health week.  The Ontario Action Network for Child and Youth Mental Health is a provincial coalition of youth, parents, service providers, unions and other partners committed to ending the crisis in child and youth mental health.more...

April 15, 2011 OPSEU developmental service workers are holding information “Block Walks” outside of workplaces across Ontario from April 15 to April 22. The walks highlight the need for immediate funding to avoid long-term service cuts and increased waitlists. . more... 

April 5, 2011 Social Services News, Spring Issue the provincial budget leaves most vulnerable groups behind in this issue and   more...

March 22, 2011 Central Bargaining talks broke off last week at the Developmental Services Provincial Discussion Table.  more...

March 11, 2011 On Thursday March 10, OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas signed his name to pledge to “Take a Stand” in support of the Ontario Action Network for Child and Youth Mental Health. more...

March 10, 2011 OPSEU’s Children’s Aid Societies Sector has made a submission to the Ministry of Finance ahead of the Ontario budget.. more...

January 19, 2011 Today marks the fifth annual Developmental Services Worker Appreciation Day. Communities across Ontario are celebrating the important work of the people who care for and support individuals with developmental disabilities more...

January 11, 2011 Social Services News for members in Developmental Services, Children’s Aid Societies, Child Treatment, Youth Corrections, and Community Agencies Winter 2011, Greetings from Deb Gordon, Chair of the Community Services Divisional Council; sector updates, pensions and legislation, and  more...

December 21, 2010 Letter to the Editor - London Free Press Workers of the Children's Aid Society of London and Middlesex (CAS) do their best to protect the most vulnerable in this community. We are not choosing to cut kids to survive funding -- the government is!   more...

December 10, 2010 OPSEU members at Homes First Society in Toronto have ratified a three-year contract agreement recommended by their bargaining team.   more..

November 24, 2010 Members working in children’s services marked National Day of the Child with block walks, distributing leaflets and blue ribbons..   more...

November 9, 2010 OPSEU President, Warren (Smokey) Thomas, will be holding a press conference at St. Clair Child and Youth Services to address the crisis in children’s mental health funding. more...

November 6 will mark the third annual Appreciation Day for community-based social service workers across Canada. Sadly social service workers in Ontario, many of whom already struggle to get by, continue to face chronic under funding which threatens the social safety net that keeps our communities strong. more...

November 1, 2010  Workers at Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto ratified a tentative contract on Oct. 29, thereby averting the employer’s threat to lock-out staff. The three-year deal includes a wage increase of two per cent in the third year and some benefit improvements. . more...

Across Ontario, the early learning and child care sector will celebrate the tenth annual appreciation day for child care staff.  more...

October 19, 2010 Homes First Society workers, members of OPSEU Local 540 have voted 93% vote in favour of a strike mandate. Local 540 members are facing major concessions from the employer including cuts to all top ups, sick leave and personal days.. more...

Central Bargaining News

September 7, 2010 Developmentally Speaking Newsletter for OPSEU members in Developmental Services. March 2010. News on lobby day for bargaining mobilizing and temporary tattoo day on March 31. more...

June 30, 20100 Youth Employment Services (YES) workers, OPSEU Local 512, voted 89% in favour of a strike on Monday, June 28. The vote was held after members rejected a tentative settlement on June 11, 2010. . more...

Sectors make pre-budget submissions

February 10, 2010 OPSEU’s Child Treatment and Children’s Aid Sectors have made submissions to the Ministry of Finance ahead of the Ontario budget.

Click here to read the Children's Aid Sector's submission
Click here to read the Child Treatment Sector's submission.

Union-management ‘Blue Ribbon’ day warns of crisis in children’s services

November 17, 2009 In advance of National Child Day this Friday, union and management at children’s aid societies and children’s mental health agencies warn that vulnerable children are at risk due to provincial government indifference. more...

On November 20 wear a blue ribbon

Why? Because on Nov. 20, 1989, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child more... 

Emergency Roundtable

October 26, 2009 Sector leaders from Children’s Aid Societies and Child Treatment met on October 21 to strategize around the funding crisis in children and youth services more...

Community Service Divisional Council - Workplace Violence Workshops

Register today for Round II of Workplace Violence workshops this autumn CSDC Workplace Violence workshops taking place in the Fall of 2009. . Priority to those locals which did not send representatives to Round I last year more...

Bargaining poll to begin soon

July 31, 2009 DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES OPSEU, in conjunction with Viewpoints Research, will begin a poll of members in Developmental Services for the upcoming round of bargaining. more...

Stop Bullying! Think Pink!

February 25, 2009 Today is National Pink Shirt Day, a day to demonstrate against bullying in schools, workplaces, the Internet and homes more...

Sectors make pre-budget submissions

February 9, 2009 OPSEU’s Child Treatment and Children’s Aid Sectors have made submissions to the Ministry of Finance ahead of the Ontario budget.

Child Treatment Sector (Sector 15)
Children’s Aid Societies (Sector 4)

Ontario celebrates Social Services Worker Appreciation Day

34 municipality across Ontario passed motions officially declaring Nov. 6, 2008 Social Serivces Worker Appreciation Day.

Campaign to end workplace violence

February 12, 2008: OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas and Community Services Divisional Chair Deborah Gordon update members on campaign activities, including a phone poll of members more...

January 22, 2008  Council launches campaign to end workplace violence OPSEU President Smokey Thomas and Deborah Gordon, chair of the Community Services Divisional Council, have written to members to raise awareness of the campaign. more...

The Community Services Division

The Community Services Division represents more than 11,500 members in Developmental Services, Children's Aid Societies, Children and Family Services,  Child Care, Community Agencies, Corrections , and Child Treatment Centres.

Our members provide services in diverse settings such as: day treatment programs, group homes, youth custody settings, early years centres and child care centres, women’s shelters, client’s homes, respite programs, court services, supervised access centres, community outreach programs, and schools among other work environments. We work for various agencies, including Children’s Aid Societies, Children’s Mental Health Centres, Children’s Treatment Centres, Developmental Services Agencies, Women’s Shelters, Daycares, Youth Corrections and more.

Our division was set up in June 2007 to give OPSEU members who work in community-based social services and corrections a forum to discuss, strategize and advocate on common issues.

The Council has been created to;

i)          Improve the working conditions of Union members in the Community Services divisions.

ii)         Ensure that the Union and the Council are recognized as an effective and respected advocate for members who work in Community Services.

iii)        Co-ordinate policy matters related to the Community Services divisions so that Union and BPS positions, strategies and campaign objectives are consistent between divisions and across the province.

iv)        Provide focus for resources assigned to Community Services issues.

v)         Participate with other organizations and groups to promote and support the aims and purposes of the Council.

These common concerns include ending violence in the workplace (“It’s not part of the job!”), and other health and safety issues. Other issues we face together include chronic underfunding, staffing shortages and overemphasis on paperwork; precarious work; lack of training; policy concerns, and more.