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Listen to the new MGEU/NUPGE radio ad supporting direct government community workers.
Winnipeg (16 March 2012) - The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE) is asking the government to create full and part-time direct community service workers positions in order to satisfy the growing need across the province.
Currently, there are approximately 1,000 government community workers who work in various communities across Manitoba. In rural Manitoba, direct service workers (DSWs) and child development workers (CDWs) are significant front-line contributors to the child welfare and social services sectors in these communities, providing much of the hands-on service delivery to children, families, and individuals who need help.
It is distressing that, at a time when social workers across the province are straining under insurmountable workloads, the government is turning its back on the very workers whose job it is to work alongside, and often assist, social workers to ensure they can provide care to families in need.
Did you know?
• The Department of Family Services and Labour offers these workers no guarantee of hours;
• All workers are considered “casual” employees even though they can work up to 80 hours bi-weekly;
• Because they are designated “casual”, these workers receive no benefits like health, dental or pension;
• CDWs in rural Manitoba earn significantly less than comparable workers in Winnipeg; and
• Workers are forced to subsidize their own jobs when they are not properly compensated for all expenses incurred while being required to use their own vehicle for work purposes.
DSWs and CDWs care about the job they do and care about their clients. But with no job security, it’s no wonder we see the high turn-over. It’s the clients who are negatively affected because there are constantly new workers providing these services.
The creation of these new positions would result in more continuity in order to affect the changes needed to ensure children, families and individuals in Manitoba are properly cared for and, at the same time, retain these experienced and valuable workers.
The MGEU/NUPGE has launched a radio campaign to raise awareness about DSWs and CDWs. Click here to listen to the ad.
More information:
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE