Developmental Services workers from
Community Living London are holding an information
picket at the office of John Milloy, Minister of
Community and Social Services on Friday, January 20.
Calling for proper funding, workers are protesting
cuts to the services so many vulnerable people
depend on.
What: Information Picket
When: Friday, January 20, 2012
11:30am – 1:00pm
Where: Minister John Milloy’s
Constituency Office 1770 King St. E, unit#
6C Kitchener, Ontario
“When is the Minister of Community
and Social Services going to recognize that
Ontario’s Developmental Services sector is in
crisis?” said OPSEU President, Warren (Smokey)
Thomas. “Enough is enough.”
“We are calling on the Minister to address the
funding of this sector immediately,” said Thomas.
Local 166 at Community Living London have repeatedly
called to meet with the Minister to no avail.
“Minister Milloy has ignored repeated requests from
OPSEU and Employers groups to meet,” said OPSEU
Local 166 president, Debbie Morphew. “We are still
waiting.”
“We are holding this information picket to bring the
issue to the Minister’s door,” said Morphew. “He
needs to know we are not giving up. We are not going
to disappear.”
Workers at Community Living London are facing the
new year with layoffs and significant cuts to
service hours. Seven full-time staff are being
eliminated from the agency, and many part-time staff
have reduced hours. Meanwhile Ontario has a waiting
list of 20,000 people who need developmental
services. “These cuts are a direct result of chronic
underfunding,” said Morphew. “Milloy can be blamed
for the long waiting list for developmental services
in London and the rest of Ontario.”
There are more than 8,000 OPSEU members working in
developmental services. Providing professional care
to people with developmental disabilities, their
work includes providing life skills and other
training, support with basic personal tasks and
administering medications.
For more information:
Debbie Morphew, Local 166, 519-671-2121
Lynne Easter-Froats, staff negotiator 519-657-8312
