People in Northumberland County are struggling. The cost of living is going up. Affordable housing is in crisis. Families need help accessing child care supports. The workers in Northumberland County’s Community and Social Services department are our safety net – but that net is tearing as workers are being pushed too far.
When people in our communities need support from government – when they fall on hard times and have to rely on Ontario Works, require a subsidy to put their children in care, or find themselves living in a tent – it’s Northumberland County Community and Social Service workers who help them. These workers are critical. But in recent years, too many of them have been chased from jobs they care about which has meant less reliable service for people who need it and a degradation in service.
These are demanding, emotionally taxing jobs. Thousands of workers for other municipalities manage that toll with flexibility and options to balance service to the community and care for their families. But Northumberland County is stubbornly refusing to give their workers the same respect. That, coupled with salaries thousands of dollars behind counterparts, has led to an exodus of staff to other cities, lured away by better work-life balance. Some Northumberland County workers haven’t even lasted a month when they experience the unrealistic workload.
Members of CUPE 3725 love Northumberland County. They do these jobs because they want to make sure everyone in our community has the support they need to thrive. But that can’t come at the expense of their own life. While the county has given generous pay increases to non-unionized staff, they are taking these critical frontline workers for granted.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
