Nearly 500 family service workers on strike

Nearly 500 family service workers on strike

Proper government funding needed for programs that support vulnerable families. Picketing will occur in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Kamloops, Nelson, Castlegar, Trail, Cranbrook and Vernon on Wednesday and Thursday

Nearly 500 family service workers across British Columbia, including more than 150 CUPE members in North Vancouver and Vernon, will be striking on Wednesday (February 6) and Thursday (February 7).  

“Striking workers want to send a clear message to the B.C. government: stop putting the squeeze on family services and other community-based social services,” says CUPE’s community social services coordinator Cheryl Colborne. “Proper government funding is needed for programs for vulnerable families and the workers who support them.

“Our members enjoy helping families participate in their community and enjoy the best quality of life possible,” says Colborne, “but many of these workers can’t make ends meet. Starting wages are $15 an hour, a dollar less than 10 years ago. Many of them have had to take on second jobs or are having to leave the work they love.”

Family service workers work with vulnerable families. They intervene when children or youth are at risk. They help with substance addictions. They work with teenage or single parents trying to make ends meet. They provide family counselling, vocational and life skills training, job placement services, assessment, therapy, infant and supported child development, and autism intervention.

This family services strike follows last week’s strike by 3,400 community living workers across British Columbia.

The following agencies will be on strike, but essential services will be maintained:

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Thursday, February 7, 2013

BCGEU, CUPE, HEU, HSA and six other unions, which together make up the Community Social Services Bargaining Association, represent family service workers. There are 15,000 unionized community social service workers, and about one-third of them work in general services, which includes family services.

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