This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
“Even though the work we do is incredibly important, it has been sadly neglected by the government. By mobilizing our members and building alliances with community groups, we forced the previous provincial government to commit to a base funding increase to our agencies." — Erin Smith-Rice, the Chair of OPSEU’s Developmental Services Sector.
Toronto (27 June 2018) — Seeking decent wages and a strong voice in the workplace, more than 300 developmental services workers at Community Living Cambridge have voted strongly in favour of joining the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).
Better working conditions mean better care
"This is a huge win for the workers and for the people they help," said Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President. “By joining OPSEU/NUPGE, they've given themselves the strength and solidarity to fight for better working conditions, which means they’ll be able to offer even better care to the people who depend on them."
“Yesterday was Developmental Services Appreciation Day [in Ontario] and I can't think of a better way of celebrating than by welcoming hundreds of new developmental services members to our great union," Thomas said.
Joining 12,000 developmental workers in Ontario
The new Community Living Cambridge members, who join nearly 12,000 other developmental services workers in OPSEU/NUPGE, will now be able to bargain a collective agreement that lays out clear rules about working conditions and how much they're paid.
“These new members have decided to take a stand for transparency and accountability in their own workplace, and I'm incredibly proud to welcome them to OPSEU/NUPGE," said Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida, OPSEU's First Vice-President/ Treasurer.
"Raise the bar" campaign helped pressure the provincial government to commit to
Over the past year, the union's Developmental Services sector has been running a successful province-wide campaign to “Raise The Bar” for workers in the field.
“Even though the work we do is incredibly important, it has been sadly neglected by the government,” said Erin Smith-Rice, the Chair of OPSEU’s Developmental Services Sector. “By mobilizing our members and building alliances with community groups, we forced the previous provincial government to commit to a base funding increase to our agencies.
“As our number of developmental services workers continues to grow, we’ll ensure that the new government honours that commitment," Smith-Rice said.