June 17, 2015, marks Developmental Services: Worker Appreciation Day.
Communities across Ontario are celebrating the important work of caring for and supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.
OPSEU congratulates its 10,000 developmental services workers across the province that provide professional care to people with developmental disabilities through programs designed to enrich their lives in every way possible.
This is more than a job, it’s a vocation. And yet, the largely female dominated workforce is marked by predominantly part-time work with poor benefits and no pensions.
The Liberal government’s one time injection of $810 million spread over three years sounds like a lot. The reality is that a systemic lack of planning and investing in services for people with developmental disabilities over decades has brought the system to this crisis point. These recent investments, while greatly needed and appreciated, have just put out the fire…for now.
OPSEU will continue to defend and advocate for a publicly-run, not-for-profit system of services that supports sustainable, decent jobs that will bring stability and much needed quality of life to individuals with developmental disabilities.