News

Nearly 500 family service workers on strike

5 Feb '13

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 will be striking on Wednesday February 6 and Thursday February 7.

“Striking workers want to send a clear message to the BC government: stop putting the squeeze on family services and other community-based social services,” says BCGEU Community Social Services Chairperson Patsy Harmston. “Proper government funding is needed for programs for vulnerable families and the workers who support them.

“We enjoy helping families participate in their community and enjoy the best quality of life possible,” says Harmston, “but many of us can’t make ends meet. Starting wages are $15 an hour, a dollar less than 10 years ago. Many of us have had to take on second jobs or are having to leave the work we 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 3400 community living workers across British Columbia.

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

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Community	Agency	Picket location & time	Union	Members impacted
Vancouver	WestCoast Family Centres	8am-5pm 2780 East Broadway (at Kaslo St.)	BCGEU	55
Vancouver	WestCoast Child Care Resource Centre	8am-5pm 2780 East Broadway (at Kaslo St.)	BCGEU	19
North Vancouver	North Shore Crisis Services Society	8:30am-12:30pm 145 East 15^th Street (at Lonsdale)	BCGEU	35
North Vancouver	North Shore Disability Resource Centre Associations	8:30am-12:30pm 145 East 15^th Street (at Lonsdale)	CUPE	108

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Community	Agency	Picket location & time	Union	Members impacted
Kamloops	Interior Community Services (ICS)	8:30am- 4:30pm 396 & 765 Tranquille Rd. 12-1 pm: action on the Overlander bridge	BCGEU/UFCW	90+26
Nelson	Kootenay Kids	9am-4pm 312 Silica St.	BCGEU	35
Castlegar	Castlegar & District Community Services	8:30am – 4:30pm 1007-2^nd Street	BCGEU	15
Trail	Canadian Mental Health Association for the Kootenays	7am - 7 pm 1200 Hospital Bench	BCGEU	5
Trail	Trail Family & Individual Resource Centre Society (FAIR)	8am-8pm 2079 Columbia Avenue	BCGEU	35
Cranbrook	Canadian Mental Health Association for the Kootenays	9am-1pm 39-13^th Avenue South	BCGEU	10
Cranbrook	Community Connections of Southeast BC (including Cranbrook Women’s Resource Centre)	9am-1pm 39-13^th Avenue South	BCGEU	5
Vernon	North Okanagan Youth & Family Services	8:30am-1pm 3100-32 Avenue	CUPE	50
Total members impacted				488

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.

Media enquiries: Oliver Rohlfs, BCGEU Communications, (778)318-9164 or oliver.rohlfs[at]bcgeu.ca