'Our last resort': Peel Children's Aid Society workers take to picket lines Monday

Front-line workers and staff with the Peel Children's Aid Society will take to the picket lines Monday to demand safer working conditions and a solution to what their union calls unfair workloads.

Some 435 members of CUPE 4914, who have been without a collective agreement since March 31, began a legal strike against Peel CAS at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.

They plan to picket outside the agency's main offices, on Century Drive in Mississauga and West Drive in Brampton.

"The strike action was our last resort," Sonia Yung, President of CUPE Local 4914 told CBC News.

"We had every intention to come to an agreement with the employer and the last thing that any of the workers wanted was to disrupt service."

Yung estimates there are 400 children in Peel CAS's care and said the strike will impact all services from answering phone calls to caring for youth at residential homes. 

'Daily verbal threats'

On its website, Peel CAS said staff will be in place to respond to any child protection concerns during the strike.

Essential services, such as investigations in cases where a child may be at immediate risk, court attendance and support for families with open cases, will continue, the website states.

Yung said the union wants to the agency to accept the findings of a 2014 report by the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies that outlines safety concerns and risks to those working in the sector. 

"There are likely daily verbal threats and aggression towards our workers — there are definitely physical threats on occasion especially within the residential system," Yung said.

"And there is the additional piece of liability piece that we do need to speak about," she said.

In a statement, Yung said Peel CAS's refusal to further negotiate left workers with no choice but to strike. 

'Reality of limited funding'

Ahead of the strike, Peel CAS CEO Rav Bains said the agency hoped to reach a collective agreement that recognized the "reality of limited funding," saying it has a legislative requirement to maintain a balanced budget.

"It is important that our operational costs do not increase to the point where our ability to deliver service to vulnerable children and families in our community is compromised," added Bains.

Yung says union members are ready to return to the bargaining table at any time provided Peel CAS is willing to act on the recommendations from the report.

"What we need to see is that they are prepared to move on the language that would enable us to continue to work in a physically and emotionally safe environment."