On September 4, hundreds of OPSEU/SEFPO and CUPE Ontario workers, along with allies, rallied in Hamilton for a public launch of the Worth Fighting For campaign. The momentum continued into Friday, with petition delivery actions across the province!
Community and social service workers are some of the lowest paid workers in the public sector. Workers are coming together in the Worth Fighting For campaign to fight for fair pay and funding for the services that kids, families and communities rely on.
This week, we delivered a strong message: our jobs, our communities and our services are WORTH FIGHTING FOR!
Thousands of petitions were delivered to MPP offices in Belleville, Hamilton, Kingston, Lindsay, Pembroke, Peterborough, Port Hope, Richmond Hill, Thunder Bay and Timmins.
Worth Fighting For: about the campaign
Workers in community and social services – working as social workers, child therapists, addictions counsellors, shelter workers, legal aid staff, and many other roles – are some of the lowest paid workers in the public sector.
Ford’s Bill 124 capped public sector workers’ wage increases at 1% at a time of skyrocketing inflation, forcing workers to turn to food banks, moonlight in second jobs, and rack up debt. While the legislation was struck down, many workers have been left out of any remedy – including workers in community and social services.
OPSEU/SEFPO and CUPE Ontario members are fighting back. Over the past year, the Worth Fighting For campaign has been building incredible momentum in the fight for fair pay for workers and funding for the services that kids, families and communities rely on. More than 70 OPSEU/SEFO and CUPE locals are currently negotiating new collective agreements with coordinated demands, and 70 bargaining units have jointly filed for conciliation.
The Worth Fighting For campaign will continue to ramp up in the weeks ahead. You can join the campaign:
- Watch and share the new Worth Fighting For campaign video