CLRCS has never indicated that our community participation support (CPS) programs are closing. In fact, we have communicated our intention to improve the availability of our CPS programs and expand offerings so that people can receive the support they need to take part in our community in the evenings and on weekends.
Jennifer Lavallee
Community Living Renfrew County South’s Executive-Director Jennifer Lavallee has announced that the activities involving the CPS — Community Participation Supports — aka the Day Program, will not be resumed when general operations resume after a nearly four month long strike.
My goodness, who could have possibly seen that coming?
According to the Executive-Director, the local agency’s “funder,” also popularly known as the provincial government, isn’t going to let them start the program up again, ostensibly because of costs incurred by the agency as a result of a lengthy labour disruption. Why she has to insist on referring to this entity as the funder is beyond me, and it smacks of sophistry, appearing to deliberately use vague and sometimes misleading language to provide cover for the provincial ministry.
We all know who the provincial government is. We all know who pays the freight. And we all remember how this same government were all along the one’s who were saying that they weren’t involved, that it was an issue between employer and employees.
Remember that?
Well, according to our beloved Exec-Direct, these same people, the one’s not involved, are the one’s putting the kibosh on the CPS. Awfully questionable behaviour from a self-styled non-participant.
But absolutely predictable behaviour for a hypocrite. Or a cynic. Or an ideologue.
The email advises losers like me to report accurately on this, so I’ll do my best, but that’s gonna be tough with the tendency and willingness of many of the participants to play politics as if they actually know how.
The Exec-Direct insists that she never said nor claimed that CPS was closing, and wants everyone to know that it’s them, not her, to be blamed for this, and nothing can be done. Because the people who aren’t involved won’t allow for any movement. Again, a rather curious case of non-involvement by Doug and the Slugs.
Okay Jennifer, it’s not your fault. Whatever.
Let me see if I’m capturing this correctly.
Local 472 of OPSEU — Ontario Public Service Employees Union — went on strike in June of this year. The strike lasted into its sixteenth week I believe. A lot of damage was experienced in the developmental services sector over that time, not pointing any fingers. After all that time, the strike ends and an agreement is reached resulting in an “award,” more of that same nebulous choice of wording when the word “settlement”would be much easier understood by so many more people.
So the strike is over and now it’s time to get things back on track.
Returning employees are now suddenly in training, because as the strike wore on, management had to fill in some of the service gaps, and in so doing, believe that they’ve identified efficiencies. Nothing portends employee dissatisfaction more than when a manager or administrator comes up with a new and infallible idea that the rest of us have to pay for.
So with the strike over, and things returning to “normal,” the folks who aren’t involved are starting to indicate that, in their opinion, the strike went on too long, they’re not happy about that, and they’re not happy about wage settlements. So they begin looking around to see who they can make pay for this.
And they settled on our children.
Exec-Direct tells us this is not permanent. And I’m a billionaire trapped in a poor person’s body.
Sorry, but I’m of the opinion that things that are shuttered usually stay shuttered. In fact I believe this was part of the grand strategy all along, and had indicated as much in my writing.
She says she will work tirelessly to reinstate the program.
Okay fine. Work tirelessly.
And when it doesn’t open again, can we then look at your tireless efforts as essentially useless? Can we entertain suspicions that you actually made no efforts at all, tireless or otherwise?
Some good news is to be found in some of this.
Apparently the Board of Directors still live, they’ve been found, and apparently they’re breathing and all the rest of it. My goodness what a relief that is to hear. Apparently they had something called a “meeting” recently, where they received the heavy news from the ministry — the guys not involved — that the Day Program was a no-go. I don’t know if it was an actual meeting or Jennifer in a room alone with a bunch of cardboard cut-outs, but nevertheless, it’s enough for the rest of us to not give up hope around the existence of these people and their well-being. Having gone missing for such an extended period time will often lead to alarm bells.
Good to know they’re all accounted for and remaining true to form.
Lavallee says she has big plans for the Day Program, and will fight for its reinstatement.
Okay then. Let’s see what you can do.
But know that a lot of people are watching. Assessing. Evaluating.
And judging.
NEWSMAGRENFREW 