West Kootenay Community Social Services workers take to picket line Thursday
By Nelson Daily Staff
Caring professionals at a handful of facilities in the West Kootenay and Creston will be out on the picket lines Thursday as part of rotating job action by unionized workers of the Community Social Services Bargaining Association.
The Community Social Services Bargaining Association is made up of members from the BCGEU (BC Government Employees Union, Canadian Union of Public Employees, HEU, HSA and six other unions.
“This is part of the rotating job action happening right across the province,” Oliver Rohlfs of the BCGEU Communications told The Nelson Daily Wednesday.
The facilities affected include, Nelson Community Services Society and Cicada Place Youth Services and Housing on Lake Street, in Nelson; Trail Family & Individual Resource Centre Society in Trail; Neighbourhood House and Hobbitt Hill Childcare; Kootenay Family Place in Castlegar; and Creston & District Society for Community Living in Creston.
“Bargaining has broken off at the table and the employer, Community Social Services Employer’s Association, hasn’t even tabled a monetary offer,” Rohlfs explained.
“They are constrained by the government’s (Cooperative Gains) program,” Rohlfs adds.
“You must find savings in the collective agreement to fund any increases and this is just not happening . . . these workers wages are so low there are no funds to be found.”
Unionized workers work with developmentally disabled, vulnerable women, at-risk youth, and children and infants in community-based programs across the province.
Community social service workers have faced a decade of declining wages after the Liberal government axed $300 Million in funding.
The current starting wage for a residential care worker is $15.54 an hour.
In 2002, it was $16.83.
Wednesday, unionized workers walked off the job in Cranbrook.
Tuesday the rotating strikers were in Terrace.
Since October 16, rotating strike action in community social services has impacted agencies in Vancouver, Kamloops, Prince George and Victoria.
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