Phone zap: Address the child care workforce crisis!

Ontario needs to follow other provinces and sign a child care agreement with the federal government. This agreement needs to include decent work and pay!

On March 23rd at 12pm, we'll hear from Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) about why this matters to them. Then, together we'll call the provincial Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and the federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development to demand that the early years workforce crisis is addressed in the Federal Child Care Deal for Ontario with the following:

1. A salary grid that ensures at least:

a. a $25 per hour starting wage for all early years staff
b. a $30 per hour starting wage for Early Childhood Educators
c. a daily rate minimum for licensed home child care providers
d. and a commensurate benefits package for all.

2. Decent Work Standards that support pedagogical practice, including paid planning time, permanent paid sick and emergency leave days and Early Childhood Workforce Learning Framework.

3. The creation of practitioner roles that will strengthen program quality while formally recognizing the value of credentials, experience, and diverse knowledges.

4. Pathways to acquire and upgrade qualifications, responding to the needs and strengths of rural, remote, and marginalized communities.

It's past time for the Ontario government to listen to educators’ voices and sign a child care deal that addresses their needs and creates the decent work conditions that allow Ontario’s communities to thrive.

The Justice for Workers campaign is joining with the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO) and Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare (OCBCC) for this phone zap! For more information about their campaign, "A Workforce at a Breaking Point - Rising Up" click here.