Worth Fighting For ✊ 🚨

🚨 PSA: Kinark Child and Family Services will begin striking May 25th if nothing changes- will you stand with us? 📣 ✊

We are fighting because the work we do MATTERS. Every single day, OPSEU Local 355 members support children, youth, families, and vulnerable clients through some of THE hardest moments of their lives. We provide crisis support, mental health care, behavioural intervention, treatment, guidance, and stability. The work is demanding, emotional, and essential. Yet our employer continues to undervalue the people doing it.

Since bargaining began last year in September 2025, workers have shown up PREPARED and READY to negotiate in good faith. In return, the employer has delayed the process, arrived late and unprepared, refused to discuss wages and benefits , and failed to provide meaningful counter proposals. Even the Conciliator questioned the employer’s approach. ‼️

This campaign is called “Worth Fighting For” because respect is worth fighting for. Fair wages are worth fighting for. Quality care for children and families is worth fighting for. ✊

Our members are not asking for anything unreasonable. The union’s wage proposal aligns with sector standards of approximately 3% increases annually due to inflation, rising living costs, and recruitment and retention challenges. Meanwhile, the employer’s wage proposals fall far below those standards, with some workers being offered increases barely above 1%.

At a time when groceries, rent, gas, and everyday necessities continue to rise, workers are being asked to do more with LESS. Many frontline workers are struggling financially while continuing to provide high-quality care and support to clients. That is not sustainable.

We are also fighting for:

✅ Fair benefits that reflect modern costs.
✅ Proper dental and vision coverage.
✅ Mental health supports for employees.
✅ Pension security.
✅ Safer staffing and job security.
✅ Retroactive compensation for the unconstitutional and ILLEGAL Bill 124 wage suppression.

The employer has acknowledged our value through words, but WORDS DO NOT PAY BILLS. They DO NOT retain skilled staff, or address BURNOUT. Workers deserve compensation that REFLECTS their education, experience, dedication, and the critical services they provide.

The small gains made so far in bargaining are NOT enough. ❌ They do not reflect the sacrifices workers make every day for the families and communities they serve.

This fight is BIGGER than wages alone. It is about DIGNITY, RETENTION, RESPECT, and ensuring children and families continue receiving care from EXPERIENCED, SUPPORTIVE professionals.

We do not want to strike. But workers deserve better than being IGNORED, DISRESPECTED, and UNDERPAID. We are standing together because our work - and the families we support - are worth fighting for. ✊♥️

#worthfightingfor #OPSEU #fordnation FordNation

For more information visit:

https://opseu.org/campaigns/worth-fighting-for/