Child care workers implore locals to ‘vote for change’: Sea to Sky Community Services unionized workers posted an anti-Liberal message at their office to highlight what they say are inadequate child care worker wages and funding
By: Sylvie Paillard
The Squamish Chief
May 4, 2009

…The early childhood education (ECE) workers have placed a poster in the window of their Second Avenue building reminding locals “B.C. needs child care to work” and imploring them to “vote for change.”

The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) sent the posters to child care centres throughout the province in a campaign to increase child care worker wages, which locally, amount to between $12 and $14 an hour.

Manager of Early Child Development Services Tami Overbeck said that although the posters weren’t placed by management, they are “supporting our staff and saying that they have the right to ask for more money for the incredible job that they do.”

Overbeck said since the Liberals took over government from the NDP eight years ago, early childhood funding and wages have been lacking.

“The early childhood educators are not getting paid enough because the parents can’t afford what it costs and the government chooses not to fund it.”

Once elected, the Liberals cut the NDP’s ECE wage subsidy of up to $2 an hour resulting in wage rollbacks, said Overbeck.

“And really since then things have gotten worse as far as any early childhood educator can see.”

The Liberals also cut after school care subsidies that had required government and parents to each pay $7 a day.

“Now it’s $300 a month all on the parents,” said Overbeck. “There is some funding centres can apply for, but it’s minimal. They can get $1.47 for a pre-schoolers and $2 for an after school child per day. So it’s still not enough to offset the cost.

Overbeck said Sea to Sky Services quality of care standards are high – only those with ECE diplomas qualify – but low wages discourage potential child care workers from entering the field, and causing highly qualified staff to leave because they can’t live on the income. The province needs to find a solution, she said.

“The parents that work are paying into our tax base, and their children need to be well taken care of.”

Local B.C. Liberal candidate Joan McIntyre did not accept child care workers’ criticism of the government.

“My understanding is the salaries range anywhere from $10 or $11 to $38 [an hour] for child care workers in this province,” she said. “And we have been very supportive. ….

However she wouldn’t comment on whether she believed $14 an hour to be an adequate amount.

“I’m not going to get into a wage negotiations debate. I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

McIntyre said she’s “disappointed” in the poster’s message given the amount of funding the province has put into child care and the amount of work she’s put into advocating for Sea to Sky Services….

She said the province was challenged by the federal government’s decision to cut $600 million toward child care in B.C.

“Unfortunately, and I can understand, a lot of parents and the public blamed us or felt that we could just to step up to the plate and replace $600 million overnight, which we haven’t been able to do.”…

She said the ministry worked hard to help facilitate child care staffing throughout the corridor…