“New Democrats have your back”: Stiles at the Ottawa CAS picket line

OTTAWA – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP, visited the picket lines today, where Ottawa Children’s Aid Society (CAS) workers are striking for fair wages and fair work as the resource-starved sector hits a breaking point.

“You are the hardworking people who have taken care of our most vulnerable children time and time again,” Stiles told workers. “You’ve pushed through brutal days and shouldered heavy burdens that should’ve been made lighter by this government. It’s time you had the support you deserve. New Democrats stand with you all the way.”

Ottawa CAS workers have been striking for over three weeks and are calling for critical funding needed from the provincial government, after years of underfunding.

“Workers in the child services sector have been warning us about this crisis point for years,” said MPP Monique Taylor (Hamilton Mountain), NDP critic for Children, Community, and Social Services. “From Ottawa to Hamilton and across the province, the workers who provide support to vulnerable children and their families have been undervalued and overworked for too long. This is not a game – these workers and the families they care for deserve our support. We are on your side”.