Caseworkers at the Community Justice Society are heading into week 4 of their strike demanding that wage fairness be respected. The five employees, members of CUPE 4764, have asked us to put out a call for financial support.
NS Federation of Labour president Danny Cavanagh, on the terrible injustice done to loyal Sears workers when the company folded. They’re not the first to lose pensions and benefits, writes Danny, but maybe we can make sure they’re the last. “Workers fulfil their obligations at their jobs and expect the company they worked for to do the same. That doesn’t seem like a lot to ask. It is really about fairness for workers.”
Judy Haiven spoke at today’s rally in support of the striking Community Justice Society workers. “The average pay of probation officers is $66,000 a year, while all RJ workers still earn only just over $37,000 a year. How can the McNeil government justify a 56% pay gap for similarly qualified professional workers?”
I keep thinking we need a public enquiry into racism and bullying at the city’s workplaces. Council and city management had years to fix the widespread malaise. They were awful at it.
Danny Cavanagh: “One must consider the cost of keeping an individual incarcerated and the savings we see because of the work these six workers do every day. This program seems to be a win, win for everyone, everyone except the six workers who now have little choice but to stand up for what they believe in. These six workers just want a living wage and to be treated with respect and fairness. These six workers want the expanded restorative justice program to work.”
Cape Breton Regional Police (CBRP) have charged eighteen men with communicating for the purpose of obtaining sexual services in Sydney, Cape Breton, the Chronicle Herald and the Cape Breton Post report. As usual, police is quoted extensively, and sex workers are never asked how they feel about it.
Danny Cavanagh: “When I read this headline this morning, I felt that maybe there has been some movement towards justice for needless workplace deaths.”
Dropped by the picketing Community Justice Society workers, and learned about the vital job they perform. Why is it that the most important jobs always seem to get the worst pay?
NSTU president Paul Wozney: “As August ticks towards September, Nova Scotians would be wise to remember that 2018-2019 is yet another year of system-wide uncertainty in public schools where the truly vulnerable are not only students and teachers. For the first time, with no end in sight, administrators are squarely in the crosshairs of ill-planned change that put them, schools and quality of education at risk.”
Danny Cavanagh: “Snow and ice control and maintenance will be contracted out to a private company. This raises questions and concerns about the long-term cost of a new P3 highway for taxpayers. It’s essentially déjà vu, and it’s more than likely that we will be providing a hefty profit to corporate elite bank coffers and in the end will get inferior service.”