Prince George, B.C.- Picket lines will be up at the main office for AimHi on Kerry Street today as the Community Social Service workers in Prince George stage a strike.

 

They are members of the BCGEU, which represents one third of the approximately 15 thousand community based social service workers in the province who are in a position to strike. Job action started on Tuesday with a rally in Vancouver, continued yesterday in Kamloops, and is now taking place today in Prince George.

 

There are 527 community-based social service workers  inPrince George at  7 different agencies. They support people with developmental disabilities, at-risk youth, women fleeing violence, First Nations, and other vulnerable members of the community.

 

According to the union, the starting wage for a residential care worker in 2002 was $16.38, now it is $15.54. In a notice advising of the planned job action, the union says it is calling on the government to “ stop putting the squeeze on community social services, and to give a fair and reasonable wage for the workers who do the most with the least.”