LONDON: Hundreds of developmental service workers, people they support and their
families rallied today at the Stronach Arena in London, to confront Premier
Dalton McGuinty on his government’s lack of funding for people with
developmental disabilities.
McGuinty tried to dodge responsibility for the strikes in four southwestern
Ontario agencies now entering their second week. At the protest, families laid
the blame directly at the Premier’s feet for the fact that his government has
ignored the funding crisis since coming to office four years ago.
The Ontario government has seriously under-funded services for people with
developmental disabilities for close to 15 years. Wages are 25-30 percent less
than they are for the same kind of job in health care or education or the exact
same job in the Ontario Public Service.
The Premier told a London radio station this morning his government has
budgeted $200-million in new funding to developmental services, but this is
misleading: The government has only given $20-million to deal with the wage gap
this year. This money may not be seen for another three years.
Even employers are saying they need to be able to pay their staff
substantially more.
Too many people are leaving the profession because they just can’t afford to
take care of their own families. Agencies are having huge problems with
recruitment and retention, and colleges across the province have had to cancel
the developmental service training programs because of low enrolment due to the
low wages in the sector. |
