By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
By the time this column is published—barring any new developments—approximately 4,000 community and social services workers will have been on strike for about seven full weeks having commenced job action on May 25th. The workers are represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), and they are asking for increased provincial funding for their services and to catch up on retroactive wages held down under Bill 124. Bill 124 capped public sector wage increases at one per cent a year and was found to be unconstitutional and was subsequently repealed. It was unconstitutional, divisive, and repealed in February 2024, but its echo reverberates to this very day.
So, now we sit with seven weeks of service disruptions experienced by legions of children, families, and vulnerable Ontarians lacking key supports. But before it got to this point, on May 13th, I was the first out of the gate standing in the Legislative Assembly asking Premier Ford for insight into his plan to avert job action by listening to social service workers and acting. The Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services, Michael Parsa, fielded my question and touted the government’s record spending in the developmental services sector, more on that shortly.
Why should we care? There’s an old saying about not missing something until it’s gone. When I first started ringing the alarm bells at Queen’s Park, many in our community asked me what workers in community services, including developmental services, actually do. In response, I’ll paraphrase what I recently publicly stated: they provide dignity, independence, opportunity, hope, and help people live fuller, richer, more meaningful lives in our communities. They provide behavioural supports, medication management, crisis intervention, transportation, advocacy, and relationships built over years with the people they support. Because their work often happens quietly, behind the scenes, it is too easy for governments—and sometimes even the public—to overlook it. But when it’s gone, it is clearly understood and missed by many.
More on the government’s supposed “record spending:” Minister Parsa often speaks of hundreds of millions of dollars flowing into the sector. My question to him is where did all the money go? I question whether these investments are reaching the front lines, why are agencies still struggling to recruit? Why are experienced workers leaving for better-paying jobs? Why are families still facing waitlists? And many workers tell me they still can’t make ends meet doing work that is absolutely essential and currently missed by thousands.
Minister Parsa and his predecessors have heard for years about long waitlists, crushing caseloads, staff burnout, and chronic underfunding. And I’ve heard for years as a political staffer and as your MPP about the same thing. I hope this government does the right thing. It’s a no brainer for me.
If we truly believe every person deserves to live with dignity and inclusion, then we must also believe that the people providing those supports deserve compensation reflecting their skills, their commitment, and the enormous responsibility they carry. We need to protect the future of Ontario developmental services.
As the lone true Independent MPP in Ontario, you gave me the freedom to speak out against any party machine if I feel it is just and in the best interests of Haldimand-Norfolk. And I will continue doing that until this is settled. Meanwhile, I convey my gratitude to community services workers for caring for some of our most vulnerable citizens. Thank you for showing up, even when it’s hard. Thank you for being the roots that hold this community together.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk