I was a support worker with Out of the Cold (OTC) from 2022 until our disgraceful eviction from work on July 8th. I worked alongside dedicated, compassionate coworkers to provide the highest standard of care possible with the limited government funding available. At 6am on July 15, the same day as the union’s press conference regarding the workers’ perspectives on the closure, an exclusive CBC article was published platforming misleading and untrue criticisms of OTC staff by Suzanne Ley of the Department of Opportunities & Social Development (DOSD). I view the CBC article as an attack on workers’ rights and our Union that showcased an uncritical, one-sided view of DOSD’s narrative.
Questions Remain
In a 2024 Examiner article, Suzanne Ley described the locations operated by the new contractor, Atlantic Community Shelter Services (ACSS), as “focused on lower acuity folks”. Acuity is a medical term to describe the intensity of care someone requires. In the CBC article, Ley says that the work of the staff at OTC did not “reflect what is needed in a high-acuity setting like this”. It has gone unquestioned: why did DOSD covertly contract ACSS, whose sole experience is in “lower acuity” settings, to provide high acuity services? Why weren’t the existing experienced workers rehired with ACSS, given that workers should not be punished for criticisms of mismanagement outside of our legal operational control? Further, if Ley and DOSD allege that the sudden, closed-door decision to contract services to ACSS was to prevent advanced notice to management at OTC, then why did they circumvent a temporary award until a proper public tendering process was able to take place, in line with most other multi-million dollar government contracts? This lack of transparency, abuse of provincial powers and disregard for evidence-based expertise must be interrogated. This is a disservice to and attack on vulnerable residents, the workers in the housing-sector and to all Nova Scotians that believed this government’s promise of accountability and financial prudence.
Calling on the Houston Government to take 3 steps
As a union we are calling on the Houston government to require ACSS to offer re-employment to us, the workers who have training and experience in high-acuity settings and with the residents whose trust we’ve carefully earned and value. We demand ACSS adopt and respect our collective agreement. And third, we ask that DOSD meet with the workers and develop a transition plan that respects both our needs and residents’. These demands all share a concern for the well-being of both our clients and the non-union workers at ACSS, who have been put in the unenviable position of fulfilling a demanding and specialized role that we have trained in for years. Solidarity to these workers who deserve to belong to a union as we do. All of our interests are intertwined: ours, our residents, our fellow workers, and our community, which can only be strengthened through this practice of care and solidarity.
Austin Hiltz was a Resident Support Worker at the Halifax site since June of 2022.
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