Community disability service workers are near poverty line
17,000 people work in Community Disability Services in Alberta, with 58%of the workforce viewing this work as their primary source of income into their household and yet, 35.6% of disability
service workers earn between $20,000-$30,000.
Who Cares …When no one is there to help
Campaign launched to address staffing crisis for human service agencies
A coalition of networks that represent community organizations who assist families in crisis, children and people with disabilities throughout Alberta, started a public awareness campaign today that calls on the provincial government to address the growing human resources crisis.
These community organizations receive contracts from the provincial government but are unable to pay a competitive wage and are now forced to cut programs and turn people away. The campaign asks Premier Stelmach for his leadership in addressing this crisis by:
- Providing immediate government investment that will allow the sector to provide competitive wages and benefits that will attract and retain a workforce, and
- Develop and invest in a three-year social infrastructure plan to establish Alberta as a world leader in quality of life and strong healthy and connected communities.
"Alberta's mayors are irate about roads, housing, and infrastructure; I am angry, too. I'm angry about family violence in our province and the compromised safety of Alberta's women and children", said Jan Reimer, Provincial Co-ordinator, Alberta Council of Women's Shelters. "This sector is reeling; the contribution of dedicated shelter workers needs to be valued. Band aid solutions and piecemeal approaches don't work."
Bob Greig, President of the Alberta Association of Disability Services, said "The government announced last week it would spend $350 million dollars to repair crumbling infrastructure. The same crumbling is taking place within the Community Disability Services sector. We know that this government cares about services to persons with disabilities; however we believe they have not recognized how bad the situation really is."
"Social workers are employed across all of these areas and so we see and hear the concerns about the lack of competitive salaries very directly from our members in the non-profit sector", said Jake Kuiken, Past President, Alberta College of Social Workers. "It's time for the provincial government to resolve decades of offloading."
The public will be asked to show they care by supporting this campaign by writing to the Premier and their MLAs and sharing their stories about how this crisis is impacting on them and their families. A list of sponsoring organizations, more facts about the issues and the advocacy campaign is available on the campaign website - www.whocaresalberta.com
- 30 -
We are asking the provincial government to provide the financial support necessary to help all Albertans.
You can help by showing you care. Take action now.
997
letters have been sent.
Latest letter
by D. Poels
sent Feb. 03 at 6:18 PM.