REGINA - The pressures facing the province’s Community Based Organizations were a prime topic at the Legislative Assembly Monday.
Workers from a number of CBOs across the province, including those working in a wide range of areas including group homes and mental health and addictions services, were on hand in the gallery to voice their concerns about low pay and the need for funding to their various organizations.
“Without a doubt this is a sector that has faced chronic underfunding for years now,” said NDP Social Services Critic Meara Conway in speaking to reporters following Question Period.
"And we’re seeing this crisis in the sector mount. We’re seeing high, high turnover, we’re seeing low wages, and of course the communities that they serve, the clients they primarily serve, are the ones that pay the price."
The main message from the CBOs, as well as the Official Opposition and several unions, was a call for stable multi-year funding for their organizations. It was noted that of the 86 CBOs in Saskatchewan, just two have a multi-year funding agreement with the province.
Those from the sector cited the impact of inflation, and it was noted many workers had not even received pay raises for years.
In 13 years of employment, “I am making $20 an hour,” said Clovel Van Opstal, addiction attendant at Pine Lodge Addiction Recovery Centre. She emotionally described some of the demanding situations workers like herself face on the job with CBOs, such as dealing with suicide intervention.
“I would love to help everyone. Even my husband says to me ‘honey, don’t let it get to you’ but it does quite often.”
“$20 or less is not sustainable anymore," said Jackie Watson of Wakamow Social Detox in Moose Jaw. She also pointed to pressures CBOs face in hiring and retaining staff, many of whom have to take on additional jobs to pay the bills. Watson said more funding would mean they can hire more staff for the services they provide.
“Multi year funding is important to us, because it is impossible to plan ahead without knowing what our next provincial budget will look like. It’s our job to fill in the gaps where direct government programs do not meet the needs of that population in the province, and right now funding at the current time is inconsistent and inadequate.”
Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky pledged he would meet with the representatives of the CBOs that day.
“I appreciate the concern they bring forward on retention and wages,” said Makowsky in speaking to reporters. “I will note that since we’ve been able to form government, there’s been a 52 per cent lift, for example … not in wages but in support to community-based organizations who directly pay the wages. They’re not government employees, so again we pay the organization and with that they make it work with their employees.”
He said the amount of funds to CBOs is determined every budget year. “Every budget, we go through the process that we go through in budgeting and we try and come up with something that is fair. We’ll continue to do that in budgets forward because we rely on our CBO’s a lot in so many different areas. I mentioned addictions treatment, but also community living supports, those in child and family group homes.”
Conway was glad to hear Makowsky would meet with the CBOs, but added Makowsky was “very clear everyone’s expectations should be low.”
She also took issue with what she regarded as the suggestion from Makowsky in the House that “this work is contracted out to these organizations, so we’re not really responsible,” she said.
“Let’s be absolutely clear. They do work day in, day out that falls squarely under the mandate of the Ministry of Social Services,” said Conway. “It is absolutely the responsibility of that Minister and that Ministry to provide a decent wage for these folks to ensure that they are continuing to provide high-quality care in a sustainable way. And for him to suggest otherwise is frankly very troubling.”
