Underfunded and overlooked: Saskatchewan’s CBOs in crisis

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Today on CBO Workers Appreciation Day, CUPE, SEIU-West, and SGEU, unions representing people in over 80 community-based organizations (CBOs) across Saskatchewan, are united in their call for immediate meaningful change in the sector. Together, they have been advocating for improved working conditions, sustainable funding, and better support for CBO workers who deliver vital services in communities across the province.

Urgent issues facing CBOs include:

  • Low wages and poor working conditions forcing workers to leave;
  • No reliable funding, threatening services and stability; and
  • Lack of accountability resulting in funding that does not reach workers, which hurts services and leaves buildings in disrepair.

“Scott Moe’s government has repeatedly underfunded the CBO sector, and the consequences are devastating,” said Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan. “Workers are stretched thin, services are suffering, and communities are paying the price.”

CBO workers play a critical role in Saskatchewan’s social support systems. They provide services such as child care, disability and social support, shelter programs, mental health and addictions treatment, suicide intervention, vocational training, and more. Yet for well over a decade, the provincial government has failed to provide consistent, reliable funding, leaving CBOs to operate under chronic financial insecurity.

“There is no stability in the CBO sector,” said Lisa Zunti, president of SEIU-West. “Our members support vulnerable populations and deliver vital services.”

CBOs must reapply for funding yearly, a model that undermines long-term sustainability and makes it impossible to offer wages that keep pace with inflation. This has made recruitment and retention increasingly difficult.

“If we want safer, healthier communities in Saskatchewan, we must invest in the organizations that make this possible,” said Tracey Sauer, president of SGEU. “It’s time for this government to commit to a multi-year funding strategy that empowers CBOs to focus on what matters most: serving the people of this province.”

/n.m.cope342