President Leah Casselman
meets members of
OPSEU Local 304 (York Region CAS)
OPSEU
President Leah Casselman met with members of Local 304 in Newmarket
March 6, urging them to continue to support their local executive
and negotiating team in efforts to pressure management to address
the crisis at the York Region Children’s Aid Society
York
was one of four agencies audited by the provincial Auditor General
in 2006. The local conducted a workplace survey in January to
highlight a workload and retention crisis that has been aggravated
by new paperwork demands.
“What
strikes me most about your survey are the feelings of workers who
are struggling to cope,” she said. “You are not alone. We know that
this struggle spans across many Children’s Aid Societies. The
minister, Mary-Anne Chambers, should be concerned about a
potentially dangerous situation for children when there are not
enough workers to meet the needs of child protection.”
“Workers can’t keep up with increasing paperwork and caseloads
consistently above ministry thresholds” says Lisa Maynard, president
of Local 304. “We are worried that if this situation is not
addressed, something will happen to a child waiting for services.”
President Casselman will be sending a letter to Chambers demanding
immediate action.
OPSEU
Local 304 begins bargaining on March 22, 2007.
Messages of solidarity can be sent to:
yorklocal304@hotmail.com
Caption: President
Casselman meets with Erin Kinsley,
Vice-President (l) and Lisa Maynard, President of local 304.
