CUPE 3137 Members,

Worth Fighting For Flyer | Unity Letter

Across Ontario, the community services sector is in crisis, and it is social services workers who are carrying the weight of that crisis every single day.

Right now, more than 61,000 children are waiting for autism services, and 52,000 adults with developmental disabilities are stuck on waitlists for the supports they need. Children’s Aid agencies are being forced to house children in motels and office buildings because there are not enough placements available.

Behind every one of those numbers are social service workers doing everything they can with fewer resources, growing caseloads, and wages that do not reflect the importance of the work.

For years, the provincial government has allowed community services to fall behind. Underfunding has created impossible conditions for workers and the people who rely on these services. Meanwhile, social workers, child therapists, addictions counsellors, shelter workers, legal aid staff, community support workers, and many other frontline social services workers remain among the lowest paid workers in the public sector.

When Bill 124 capped wage increases at 1% during a time of skyrocketing inflation, it pushed many workers to the brink, forcing some to rely on food banks, take on second jobs, or go into debt just to get by. Although the legislation was struck down in 2022, the government has chosen to restore wages for some sectors, while leaving community services workers behind.

Social services workers are the backbone of our communities. Every day you support children, families, and individuals who depend on these services to live safe and dignified lives. But the system cannot continue to function if the workers who hold it together are underpaid and undervalued.

That is why your voice matters. By signing the Unity Letter, members are showing the employer that we are united in demanding better wages and stronger support for our sector. When workers stand together, it strengthens our ability to push the employer to advocate to the provincial government for the funding needed to deliver the wage increases that social services workers deserve.

The more members who sign the Unity Letter, the stronger our message becomes that social services workers cannot be ignored any longer.

Stability, dignity, and fair wages for social services workers will lead to stronger services and healthier communities for everyone.

Ontario’s public services are worth fighting for, and so are the workers who provide them.
Please send your signed Unity Letters to our Communications Officer at: communication3137@outlook.com

In solidarity,

CUPE 3137