Developmental services workers at Community Living London
are holding an information picket on Tuesday morning outside the Ministry of
Community and Social Services to protest layoffs of seven staff. These cuts
to London’s services will directly impact the most vulnerable members of the
community.
What: Information Picket
Where: Ministry of Community and Social Services,
217 York Street, London
When: Tuesday, January 10, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President of OPSEU, says the
government’s refusal to provide adequate funding for developmental services
is a shameful act, hurting the most vulnerable people in the London area.
“The Ministry of Community and Social Services continues to
ignore the chronic funding crisis in this sector,” Thomas said. “Waiting
lists across the province continue to rise with no relief in sight.”
Community Living London announced early this week a plan to
lay off seven developmental service workers and to dramatically reduce
part-time hours in an effort to balance their budget. Community Living
London has made it clear that unless the Ministry provides the required
funding further cuts and loss of employment will occur in April. The impact
of this for families throughout the City will be profound.
The government’s refusal to provide adequate funding comes
on the heels of announcing a $36 million expenditure on “performance
bonuses” for civil service managers. This reflects the current
private-sector trend of prioritizing executive bonuses over the needs of the
marginalized. “The Public Sector is expected be a role-model of public
accountability,” Thomas said. “Public funds should be spent to the benefit
of the public, not for select managers.”
Currently in Ontario there are more than 12,000 people
waiting for residential supports, 7,000 waiting for other supports and 1,500
parents providing primary care to children with an intellectual disability
while they are on a waitlist for residential services. Eighty per cent of
these parents are over the age of 70.
“The newly-appointed Minister of Community and Social
Services, John Milloy, is refusing to talk to both Community Living London
and the union about this crisis,” Thomas said. “The Minister needs to take
immediate action and resolve this funding issue before something tragic
occurs.”
OPSEU represents approximately 420 employees at Community
Living London.
Update January 13th, 2012
Pictures of the event
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