Avalon Sexual Assault Centre board won't step down, despite staff request

Staff at Halifax's Avalon Sexual Assault Centre say members of the board of directors refuse to step down, despite their request the whole board be replaced.

On Tuesday, staff said board mismanagement has led to major problems at the resource centre for people who've experienced sexualized violence and abuse, including the closure of a therapy wait list earlier this year.

Avalon is Halifax's only sexual assault centre.

Counsellor Adrienne Buckland said staff and board members appear to have different values.

"Our current board, both in representation as well as management styles, isn't in line with how we are meant to be working as a feminist organization that's based on feminist values, working relationally, trauma-informed," she said.

"We're talking about a board that isn't currently working in line with our mission, our mandate and our values."

Staff have selected a new list of candidates for the board, which they would like to see elected at their annual general meeting in September.

Current board will stay in place until AGM, says acting chair

In an statement, acting board chair Ann-Barbara Graff said the non-profit is legally required to be governed by a board under the province's Societies Act. Graff said they invite the staff's selected candidates to apply, but the board is committed to remaining in place until the annual general meeting.

For several months, Buckland said staff told the board the organization needs restructuring to meet growing demand for their services.

She said the board ignored the request and the issue grew to the point where the centre had to close its wait list to new counselling cases in April.

"We just had such an unethical long wait list that we had to make that decision," said Buckland.

'Unethical' waits, says staffer

Staff member Sarah Kasupski said at one point the wait list was over two years long.

"It's commonly regarded that it is an unethical practice to have someone wait that long for services," she said.

"And the impact that has on staff when you know that you're not fulfilling your service mandate. When those pressures aren't being acknowledged by your board, that creates really unsafe working conditions that you have to come into every day."

Graff said the board supported the decision to temporarily close the wait list and is looking at options to end the wait list.

Board says it wants address 'systemic and structural issues'

She said the board is also working to restructure how the centre delivers its services.

"The board shares the staff desire to address the systemic and structural issues that are contributing to sexualized violence and limiting the ability to help everyone who needs Avalon's services," she said.

Graff said the demand for services at Avalon has increased after the Rehtaeh Parsons case and the rise of the #MeToo movement.

Board fought unionization of some workers, staff say

When staff began organizing a union earlier this year, the board fought to have some staff be considered management and excluded from the union, said Buckland.

She said the Nova Scotia Labour Board ultimately decided that those staff members could unionize.

"You would think that a feminist organization would support all staff who wanted to unionize to be unionized," said Buckland.

She said the use of Avalon's financial resources to wage that battle with legal fees seemed inappropriate when staff don't feel they have access to adequate parental leave, benefits or support for primary trauma.

Board says it hasn't 'fought staff attempts to unionize'

Graff said they made submissions to the labour board about the composition of the bargaining unit, which she said is their right as an employer.

"It is wrong to suggest that the board is opposed to unionization or has fought staff attempts to unionize," said Graff in the statement.

Buckland said the union certification will be finalized soon.

"We have the right staff to do this work and we just want to have the right board that we can work with in a way that is feminist, is relational, is trauma informed," she said.

"And that's what we're needing and we have found the right people to do that and we just want our current board to recognize that."