Key MCFD issues raised in meeting with Minister Grace Lore - BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)


Last week, BCGEU President Stephanie Smith and BCGEU Component 6 Vice-President Judy Fox McGuire met with BC's Minister of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Grace Lore, and other senior ministry officials. The focus of the meeting was to discuss our union's ongoing concerns about the well-being of MCFD staff and our recommendations for changes and improvements that could benefit all.

We reiterated the challenges too many social workers face, recounted from stories shared by members like you. This includes:

  • low morale due to recruitment and retention issues,
  • the weight and complexity of the work you do with families in crisis, that leads to stress and burnout, 
  • feeling like you are being held accountable for outcomes, while not being supported or resourced to do the work properly, and
  • consistently feeling that the needs of families in crisis must come before personal mental health of staff. 

We acknowledged the Ministry for their support in facilitating the survey distributed by the union last month, on behalf of the Representative for Children and Youth. We look forward to learning the results of both the survey and focus groups, and we will update you as we hear more.

We made it clear to Minister Lore that success for our members, and for the Ministry more widely, includes the development and implementation of a recruitment and retention strategy, co-developed between our parties. We know how much social workers matter, and we all have a part to play in ensuring everyone feels that appreciation, by ensuring workers get the support they need. 

Minister Lore expressed recognition of the complexity of the work, the challenges families are facing and the systemic barriers social workers are navigating. She also indicated that she and her ministry are committed to making positive progress to improve the way MCFD works, and that she wants social workers to know their concerns are being heard. 

The Minister recognized that our members need to see leadership that values, supports, and uplifts the sector and its workers. She assured us the work is being done to deliver action on important changes that are needed. The Minister shared that she will be visiting worksites over the summer, as she continues to investigate challenges, and she is looking forward to hearing from you.

We are optimistic that the Minister intends to take meaningful steps to address the issues we raised on behalf of our hard-working members in MCFD.

Our union will continue to press government to move these issues forward and will continue to work with all stakeholders and rightsholders groups as we push for improvements. 

In solidarity,

Judy Fox-McGuire

BCGEU Component 6 Vice President

 

Left to right: Stephanie Smith, Minister Grace Lore, Judy Fox-McGuire



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