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CAS Worker Demonstrations

April 8, 2010 permalink

Children's Aid workers in Ontario's north are staging public protests to save their jobs in the face of budget cutbacks. Since most of them lack skills of value in the private sector, their alternative is unskilled jobs such as waitress. The Jeanne Sauvé agency in the release does not have a website, but the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies (OACAS) lists it as a member society:

Services Familiaux Jeanne Sauvé Family Services*
29 Mundy Ave.
Kapuskasing, ON P5N 1R1
Bus (705) 335-2445
Fax (705) 335-4391

The press will be out taking pictures at these events. Even one opponent at next week's event in Kapuskasing carrying a sign such as "Fire them all" could have an impact.

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ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES UNION (OPSEU)

ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES UNION (OPSEU)

Demonstrations planned to protest CAS crisis in northeast Ontario

KAPUSKASING, ON, April 7 /CNW/ - Demonstrations by Children's Aid Society workers are being organized this week and next across northeastern Ontario to protest the crisis in child protection services.

"We have reached the stage where we have no alternative but to take to the streets so that the public can learn directly from front-line workers how bad the situation has become for at-risk children and young people," said Barb Hutchings, president of Local 639 of the Ontario Pubic Service Employees Union (OPSEU) representing more than 80 CAS workers in Kapuskasing, Hearst, Cochrane, Smooth Rock Falls, Moonbeam, Timmins and Val Rita.

A $211,000 operating deficit at Familiaux Jeanne Sauvé Family Services in seven communities has resulted in job losses and the prospect of further staff cuts. The result in some cases could mean that reports of abuse are delayed and programs are being slashed, like the popular Camp Cadanac in Moonbeam which provides summer programs for more than 200 children and youth.

OPSEU is calling on Children and Youth Services Minister Laurel Broten to restore funding to programs serving at-risk children.

"The children and youth our workers serve already come from disadvantaged situations," said Hutchings. "The funding crisis amounts to re-victimizing them once again."

Demonstrations are scheduled for the following communities:

  • Wednesday April 7, 12 noon, Hearst, Familiaux Jeanne Sauvé Family Services office
  • Thursday April 8, 12 noon, Cochrane, Post Office
  • Thursday April 8, 4:30 p.m. Timmins, Familiaux Jeanne Sauvé Family Services office
  • Thursday April 15, 4:30 p.m. Kapuskasing, Familiaux Jeanne Sauvé Family Services office

For further information: Barb Hutchings, OPSEU Local 639, (705) 272-8186; Norm Pilon, OPSEU Staff Representative, (705) 561-3570

Source: CNW

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