FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 15, 2005
Money insufficient
for developmental services sector:
waiting lists not addressed
TORONTO – The province’s
funding increase for developmental services in the community
will not solve the problem of long wait lists for these
services, says the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.
OPSEU President Leah
Casselman said the extra $59-million per year is welcome but
insufficient to deal with the problems in the sector.
“The waiting lists for
special services at home may be shortened, but what about
the thousands of people waiting for other services?”
Casselman asked. "The announced amount is 0.5 per cent of
what they spend per year, not very much to get excited
about,” she said
"These are some of the lowest
paid workers in the province. This money doesn’t go nearly
far enough to address the serious issue of recruitment and
retention in the sector. We cannot provide more services
without the trained staff needed to meet the services now
offered.”
The Ministry should also put
the union’s proposed Centres of Excellence plan in place,
and keep the Regional Centres open, she said.
OPSEU represents more than
8,000 workers who care for people with developmental
disabilities in 65 community agencies as well as the three
provincially-run facilities the government has slated for
closure over the next four years. Part-time workers form the
majority in this sector.
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For more information,
please contact:
Sarah Jordison, OPSEU
Communications: 416-453-8049
