Better Choice: let’s start talking about the Federal election

The country’s slow economic recovery has left 2.8 million Canadians unemployed or underemployed. Nearly three quarters of the jobs created in the past six years have been precarious (part-time, temporary or in the self-employed sector). With limited job prospects, household debt is at an all-time high.

Soon, you will get to choose how we overcome these challenges.

There is a better choice. One that gets us ready to support and care for our aging population. One that gives Canadians high-quality, secure jobs instead of short-term, temporary positions. One that provides programs that benefit everyone—instead of tax relief programs that benefit a select few.

We believe there is a better choice for you and the economy.

What will you choose?

Visit the campaign betterchoice.ca to learn more!

CUPE Manitoba applauds provincial government’s continued wage enhancement for community living workers.

WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government announced the next phase of its 2014 commitment to continue to improve wages for workers who provide support to adults with intellectual disabilities.

“Workers who support members of the community with intellectual disabilities deserve to have fair and reasonable compensation” says Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba. “This work is integral to the well-being of our community, and we are pleased that the government has recognized the value of the work our members do”.

In July, 2014, CUPE members from Local 3085 at Community Living Selkirk held info pickets outside the office of the Minister of Family Services, Kerri Irvin-Ross, calling on the government to improve wages for direct service workers.

In August, 2014, the province committed $6 million in wage enhancements to help top-up the wages of the lowest paid workers to help move them away from poverty-level wages.

Today the provincial government announced the newest instalments of the wage enhancement fund, which will see wages for residential direct service workers increase to a starting wage of $13.00 per hour beginning July 1, 2015, and $13.75 beginning January 1, 2016. The government also announced a new $15.13 minimum starting wage for house managers effective January 1, 2016.

“We are pleased that Minister Irvin-Ross is responsive to the needs of these important workers” says Moist. “CUPE applauds the Manitoba government’s ongoing commitment to support those who work with adults living with intellectual disabilities in residential settings. We are hopeful the government will soon extend these new minimum wages to other direct service workers, such as those who work in day programs throughout the province.”

Assisted Community Living organizations are non-profit support services that provide residential care to Manitobans living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Services include 24-hour supervision, recreational supports, help with meals, medication, and integration into the community which helps Manitobans with intellectual disabilities live with dignity and respect.

CUPE Manitoba has representation on the province’s wage enhancement committee that was created to ensure workers’ voices are heard in the implementation of the wage enhancement fund and we continue to provide input to improve the reach of the fund.

CUPE Local 3085 represents approximately 100 employees at Community Living Selkirk and 120 more across the Interlake providing residential support services to Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities. CUPE Manitoba represents over 600 ACL workers province-wide.

See the full Government of Manitoba news release.

Pallister seeks to privatize Manitoba’s Social Services

Winnipeg – Progressive Conservative leader Brian Pallister’s June 9th plan to explore Social Impact Bonds as a model to fund social service agencies is cause for deep concern.

“Pallister wants to remove government’s social contract with its citizens and replace it with a private contract,” says Kelly Moist President of CUPE Manitoba. “At its core, Pallister’s plan would allow private companies to profit from poverty using the public purse.”

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are financing schemes where taxpayer dollars are directed to investor profits instead of public social programs.

Sometimes called “pay for success”, SIBs are the latest financing gimmick where lenders, such as banks (including Goldman Sachs), provide upfront capital to fund projects. This money is paid back by the government at a high rate of interest resulting in inflated costs to the taxpayer and lower quality services. SIBs are more accurately called “social impact borrowing” or “social impact loans.”

“There was a time when the private sector would simply make philanthropic donations as part of their corporate responsibility to the community” says Moist. “Pallister’s model will take that philanthropy and turn it into private profit.”

In 2013 the Alberta College of Social Workers expressed opposition to the Alberta Progressive Conservatives’ support for SIBs in stating that “these Bonds will lead to the commodification of social services where profits come before people”

While Pallister claims that social impact bonds would foster “private-sector innovation,” these companies will seek to invest in only the non-government agencies that would see profitable outcomes, rather than programs that seek to address long-term root causes of many of societies deep and complex issues, including poverty.

CUPE has highlighted concerns in the past about the use of Social Impact Bonds in a submission to the Federal government in 2013, these concerns about SIBs include:

  • profiting from social ills;
  • using a for-profit business model approach to providing services for those most in need;
  • carving off the more suitable areas for investment return to the exclusion of the most vulnerable or most in need;
  • risk averse nature of social impact bond financed programs;
  • unstable financing of long-term social programs with short-term funding mechanisms with no guarantee of continuation even if the service is being provided;
  • misuse and misapplied impact assessments based on poorly defined measures of efficiency;
  • displacement of stable and professionally managed publicly funded programs with short-term initiatives.

It is widely acknowledged that it is government’s responsibility to address issues of homelessness, unemployment, and poverty, and using Social Impact Bonds to augment social services is an extremely poor choice of models that forfeits government’s responsibility to its citizens.

“Manitobans look to government to fund social service agencies in an effective and targeted manner that benefits the most vulnerable in our society” says Moist. “The profit motive should never be the driver for social services.”

For more information on SIBs check out CUPE’s submission to HRSDC.

 

CUPE 2348 Opposes Cuts to Community Support Workers

Winnipeg – Members of CUPE Local 2348, representing Community Support Workers, Community Liaison Officers, and Cross Cultural Support Workers spoke out at the June 8th Winnipeg School Division Board of Trustees meeting in support of continued resources for the community.

“Every hour counts when it comes to working with vulnerable or at-risk youth,” said Sandy Deng, CUPE 2348 Cultural Diversity Chair. “Our schools are diverse, and CUPE 2348 members believe we need adequate staffing to address that diversity.”

Earlier this month CUPE Local 2348 received word that many of these jobs will be facing a significant reduction in hours. This would reduce important contact time between the school system and vulnerable youth and their families.

By Friday June 5th the Local was informed that the cuts would no longer be in effect for the upcoming school year!

“The Aboriginal youth demographic is the fastest-growing in the Division, along with newcomer and refugee youth,” said Deng. “The needs of the student body are rapidly changing, and inter-cultural supports are key to helping address the serious challenges many of these students face – from language barriers to poverty.”

CUPE 2348 is looking for leadership from the Winnipeg School Division and Provincial Government to prioritise stable, permanent funding for Community Support Workers in our schools. Twenty Community Support Workers were in attendance at the meeting, along with Community Liaison Officers, parents of students, and community organizers.

“Community Support Workers have created invaluable relationships between students, families, and our education system,” said Michael Champagne, Street Educator and founder of Aboriginal Youth Opportunities and Meet Me at the Bell Tower. “We cannot lose the trust that has been built between our schools and our village, the community.”

“In the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report, there is no doubt that these students need ongoing, real-time community-based supports to help navigate the school system” Winnipeg Labour Council President Dave Sauer told the Board. “Governments at all levels must prioritise these students and programs”.

Members of the Board applauded delegates for their presentations, and acknowledged the value of Community Support Workers in the Division.

CUPE Local 2348 will continue to put pressure on all levels of government to restore and increase funding allotments for Community Support Workers in an effort to ensure stable, reliable funding for this important work.

CUPE Local 2348 represents over 700 members who work in social service agencies across Manitoba, including Community Support Workers, Community Liaison Officers, and Cross Cultural Support Workers at the Winnipeg School Division.

Manitoba budget supports childcare and social services. What it means for CUPE members

The Manitoba Government’s 2015 provincial budget was released on April 30th.

Throughout this week we will be featuring a number of key CUPE sectors and how the budget affects members within that sector.

What is the provincial budget?

The provincial budget is the implementation of the government’s vision for the next year, as well as commitments to long-term and short-term investments.

Being part of a national union, CUPE members in Manitoba know that the cuts made in other provinces are not happening here. The Manitoba NDP has committed to supporting the services that Manitobans rely on.

CUPE members in Manitoba work in childcare facilities across the province, as well as working as support staff in Winnipeg Child and Family Services.

But what does the 2015 provincial budget mean to CUPE members in Manitoba?

Child Care       

The province is funding 900 new universally accessible and affordable childcare spaces and is supporting higher wages for child-care (ECE) workers as well as building and expanding child-care centres.

This commitment to increasing wages through wage enhancement for child-care workers is welcome and will continue to improve working conditions and raise the bar for all child-care workers.

However CUPE is continuing to exert pressure on both the provincial and federal governments to ReThink Childcare, and provide a better child care system for all.

Social Services

The province is increasing funding to family services by $20 million. This includes the commitment to increase staffing in Child and Family Services by 210 new workers, many of whom will be CUPE members.

The government has also begun providing funding for the Community Living wage enhancement fund, an initiative that was a result of a strong campaign by CUPE Local 3085 Community Living Selkirk.

We all care for Manitoba’s children, and this budget helps to increase access to childcare and provide much-needed resources to our members who care for children in need.

Stay tuned for “Manitoba budget supports infrastructure. What it means for CUPE members”

Provincial budget reflects needs of Manitobans, invests in services.

The Manitoba Government’s 2015 provincial budget was released on April 30th, and reflects the NDP’s commitment to working families across the province.

“Our NDP government is a strong steward of the economy” says Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba. “Manitobans want government to invest in core services and infrastructure, and that is exactly what this government is doing”.

The provincial budget is the implementation of the government’s vision for the next year, as well as commitments to long-term and short-term investments.

“Being part of a national union, CUPE members in Manitoba know that other governments have recently implemented deep cuts to government services which particularly impact society’s most vulnerable people” said Moist. “The Manitoba NDP has committed to supporting the services that Manitobans rely on”.

Of particular note are the unprecedented investments in infrastructure that will create jobs, stimulate the economy, raise wages across the province, improve road safety, protect Manitobans against floods, and improve other aspects of our provincial infrastructure.

The budget announced continued investments in childcare spaces in Manitoba, significant funding increases for acute health care and long-term care, as well as increased funding to education and post-secondary education.

The province made good on a commitment to eliminate interest on Manitoba student loans, making post-secondary education more accessible, and once again increases the minimum wage.

Additionally, the province has acted on recommendations from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ “View from Here”, endorsed by CUPE Manitoba, enhancing Rent Assist by $22 million to move it to 75% of median market rent.

“We are pleased that this government chooses to invest in the community, from infrastructure to childcare” said Moist. “This government understands the value of a diverse economy that supports families as well as economic growth”.

CUPE Manitoba represents approximately 25,000 public sector workers in health care, municipalities, school divisions, energy, airlines, social services and childcare, post-secondary education, and more.

Federal budget rewards the rich but fails every day Canadians

via CUPE.ca


Ottawa, ON 
– The Conservative’s 2015 federal budget may balance the books, but it is highly unbalanced in its impact on Canadians.  It puts millions of seniors at risk of poverty, abandons families in need of affordable child care and quality public health care, and doesn’t help Canadians workers who need better jobs, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

“The Conservatives have chosen irresponsible economic policies that slash revenues to benefit a few corporations and the wealthy,” says Paul Moist, national president of CUPE, Canada’s largest union. “This budget does far more harm than good in addressing the gap between workers and the richest Canadians. With this budget, that gap will only continue to grow.”

Maintaining unreasonably low corporate taxes, income splitting, tax credits for wealthy families like the expanded TFSA’s provide no help for every day Canadians.  These measures recklessly slash federal revenues that will mean more cuts to public services that Canadians depend on.

“Expanding TFSA does almost nothing to help the over 11 million Canadians without a work place pension. Instead of expanding the Canada Pension Plan – widely seen as the most effective, efficient and affordable way to keep seniors out of poverty – the Conservatives only offer another tax shelter for the rich,” says Moist. “The lost revenues from expanding TFSA’s – at least $1 billion over the next five years – will only mean more pressure on OAS/GIS. This budget is an unqualified failure for the vast majority of Canadian seniors.”

Canadian families struggling to find affordable child care are also left without any help.

“Families are spending more on child care than on housing – up to $2000 a month. This means the tax credit being offered up by Conservatives will barely cover one month. And that will be for only handful of families; most won’t get a dime,” says Moist.

The Conservatives lack of leadership on child care is even more pronounced in health care. Despite long waiting lists, five million Canadians without a family doctor, and skyrocketing prescription drug prices, the 2015 federal budget confirms Conservatives are cutting more than $36 billion from health care.

“We need strong federal leadership to strengthen our public health care system,” says Moist. “Our public health care is coming apart at the seams, and Conservatives simply shrug their shoulders hoping someone else will take care of it.”

CUPE is urging the Official Opposition to move budget amendments that will help create quality jobs, make urgent investments in public health care and child care, expand the CPP, and introduce measures that protect valued public services.

“This budget is clearly taking our country in the wrong direction. It fails workers, families, seniors, students, Indigenous peoples and the environment,” says Moist. “The only bright side is that with our pending federal election, this will be the Conservatives last budget. Next budget, we’ll be able to start repairing the damage done. It’s time for a change.”

CUPE’s complete analysis of the 2015 federal budget will be available on cupe.ca.

For more information:

Greg Taylor
CUPE Media Relations
613 818-0067
gtaylor@cupe.ca

CUPE Manitoba Solidarity Sector Conference an Overwhelming Success!

Over 140 CUPE members from across the province met in Brandon from November 26 – 29 at the CUPE Manitoba Solidarity Sector Conference.

At this conference members from Healthcare, Social Services, Municipalities, Long-term Care, and School Divisions met to discuss issues facing their sectors.

Additionally, special guest speakers included Mark Janson, CUPE Research who spoke to a number of sectors on Defined Benefit pension plans, CUPE National President Paul Moist who spoke about Manitoba’s positive track record on pensions, comparing Manitoba to other provinces where pensions are under attack. Newly elected Brandon City Councilor Lonnie Patterson also spoke on the importance of labour activists getting involved in local politics and elections.

For photos of the conference, visit CUPE Manitoba on Facebook or check out our Flikr gallery!

CUPE applauds Manitoba government’s commitment to children in care

Winnipeg – Today the Government of Manitoba announced an overhaul of the Child and Family Services Emergency Placement Program, committing to hiring 210 highly trained new permanent child-care workers over the next two years.

Kelly Moist, President CUPE Manitoba Kerri Irvin-Ross, Manitoba Minister of Family Services Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative Ryan McRae, CUPE Local 2153
Kelly Moist, President CUPE Manitoba
Kerri Irvin-Ross, Manitoba Minister of Family Services
Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative
Ryan McRae, CUPE Local 2153

“We are proud that the Manitoba government is responding to the call for highly trained, permanent staff to care for children in need” said Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba. “Ensuring permanent reliable staff rather than contract workers means that children will receive the type of quality care they need to live with dignity and hope”.
Manitoba Minister of Family Services Kerri Irvin-Ross made today’s announcement as part of a response to reduce the number of children who are placed in hotels as part of their transition into other levels of care, as well as to ensure adequate, reliable staffing levels for children in need and a reduced reliance on contract workers.
“Workers must be provided the training they need and be treated as an integral part of providing care for children” said Moist. “Moving away from contract workers and towards more permanent staff is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of children in care”.
The provincial government also committed to creating 71 new emergency foster home spaces, opening a secure residential care unit to work with girls ages 12 to 17 who have complex needs, increase capacity to perform mulch-disciplinary clinical assessments of children with behavioural challenges, and increase emergency foster placements and supports in rural areas for children closer to their homes.
“This initiative shows that the provincial government is both responsive and responsible” said Moist. “We are incredibly pleased that Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross also highlighted the reality that colonization, residential schools, and poverty are issues that must also be addressed to ensure that children can grow up in healthy, proud, and safe family environments”.
CUPE represents 25,000 workers in Manitoba, including approximately 500 in Winnipeg Child and Family Services.

CUPE Manitoba Celebrates Major Victory for Assisted Community Living Workers

Community Living Selkirk Employees Postpone Strike Action, Province Commits Funding

SELKIRK – CUPE Local 3085, representing employees at Assisted Community Living Selkirk, has postponed a strike that was due to 10475963_903284353019379_5050551270010792450_obegin Friday morning, August 8, 2014. In a welcomed move to support Assisted Community Living (ACL) employees in Manitoba, the provincial government announced today that $6 million in new funding will be earmarked to ensure ACL workers, province-wide, receive fair wages for their important work in supporting Manitobans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We are extremely pleased that the government of Manitoba has heard our call to support ACL workers” said Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba, “our members at CUPE Local 3085 worked diligently to raise awareness on the dire need for adequate funding for ACLs in Manitoba”.

On July 9th CUPE Local 3085 members voted 94% in favour of strike action, and held information pickets in Selkirk on July 15th and 22nd , as well as a demonstration on July 25th outside the office of Kerri Irvin-Ross, Minister of Family Services and Housing, in an effort to support funding for ACL workers.

“Many ACL workers live below the poverty line, despite being such an integral part of the lives of countless Manitobans who live with disabilities” said Moist, “ensuring adequate funding for wages for these workers means that ACLs will be able to recruit and retain the dedicated staff they need to provide these important services”.

Assisted Community Living organizations are non-profit support services that provide residential care to Manitobans living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Services include, 24 hour supervision, recreational supports, help with meals, medication, and integration into the community which helps Manitobans with intellectual disabilities live with dignity and respect.

“Employees at Community Living Selkirk take pride in the work they do” said Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative “because of CUPE Local 3085’s dedication to their work and their willingness to stand up for fairness, we have helped to achieve fair standardized wages for all ACLs across Manitoba”.

The provincial government announced $6 million in funding to help ensure that ACL workers across the province are compensated fairly for the work they do. This funding was desperately needed to recruit and retain dedicated staff who in-turn are able to provide the type of consistency in care that Manitobans with intellectual and developmental disabilities need on a day-to-day basis.

“Many ACLs have reached a critical juncture in which retaining staff has become a major issue, and at Community Living Selkirk it became such an issue that staff were prepared to strike in order to bring attention to the dire need for funding” said Capar, “in fighting for fairness for themselves, employees at Community Living Selkirk have helped achieve fairness for everyone in the Assisted Community Living sector”.

CUPE Local 3085 represents approximately 100 employees at Community Living Selkirk providing residential support services to Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities. CUPE represents over 600 ACL workers province-wide.

Click here to read the full Province of Manitoba media release