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.
Help support community social services by going to cssworkers.ca to fill out our online survey!
Ottawa (24 Oct. 2013) - Millions of Canadians depend on community social services (CSS) to live independently, to participate fully in the community, or for their safety. Whether it is seniors, people with disabilities, women fleeing violence or many others, community social services make an enormous difference in people's lives.
Community social services are valuable public services - Community social services workers need more support to help the most vulnerable
But more and more, those who rely on community social services and their families have been forced to use expensive private services. In too many cases, people are not getting the help they desperately need.
And what about the people who provide these valuable public services?
They're the people trying to prevent the person you saw sleeping on a bench from freezing to death in the winter. They're enabling your neighbour with a developmental disability to have a job and participate in their community. Your grandmother is still living in her home because of the support they provide.
Many community social services workers have seen their workloads rise, while wages have failed to keep pace with inflation. These caregivers are having to make choices between providing for their families or caring for the most vulnerable in our society.
You can help put more attention on the community social services sector
At the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) 2013 Convention, our members adopted a policy paper looking at how cuts to funding for community social services have left people struggling. We committed to continuing our work for increased funding for these services and creating more awareness of how much we depend on community social service workers. Our refreshed Community Social Services website is a reflection of this commitment.
There are a number of ways you can help put the focus on community social services and support both workers and the people who need these vital services:
- visit cssworkers.ca to fill out the survey
- share your story about how valuable community social services are to you
- tells us about your experience working in community social services in your community
- find ways to recognize CSS workers on November 6 for CSS Worker Appreciation Day
You can tell us your experiences in the CSS sector by contacting us at info@cssworkers.ca or go to our CSS Worker Facebook page.
We will be compiling the information collected by the survey to evaluate the status of community social services in Canada from a user and worker perspective. This data will also accompany the video project and be released in the coming months to highlight the importance of these public services, the need to treate the users of and the workers in community social services with dignity and respect.
More information:
Community social services website
community social services policy paper - NUPGE Convention 2013
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