Conservatives’ raise still leaves childcare workers short: NDP

QUEEN’S PARK — Teresa Armstrong, Official Opposition NDP Childcare critic, issued a statement in response to the Education Minister’s ECE wage announcement:

“Our childcare centres are in crisis as underpaid, undervalued workers have been leaving the sector in droves. The Ford government’s failure to address the workforce crisis has put $10-a-day childcare in Ontario in jeopardy.

Early childhood educators and childcare workers deserve wages they can live on and fair working conditions. Families deserve childcare that’s affordable.

Today’s announcement is an important step in acknowledging that low wages have contributed to the childcare sector crisis. But it falls short of what workers and the NDP have been calling for: $30 per hour for registered early childhood educators and $25 per hour for all childcare workers.

The NDP will keep fighting alongside workers to get the salaries they deserve and the stability our childcare sector needs.”

QUICK FACTS

In addition to wage increases, the NDP has been calling for:

• Paid sick days
• Paid professional development time
• Paid programming time
• The government to work with the childcare sector to develop and implement a wage grid and decent work standards