Calgary Drop-In Centre workers begin unionization efforts

In a statement on Wednesday, the union said Calgary Drop-In staff are paid below the Alberta government's housing income threshold.

Workers at the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre have started unionization efforts after facing years of unsafe working conditions and unlivable wages, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said.

CUPE said in a statement on Wednesday that Calgary Drop-In staff are paid below the Alberta government’s housing income threshold. In Calgary, the income threshold for a subsidized one-bedroom apartment is a salary of $44,000 a year.

CUPE also said Calgary Drop-In workers do not receive shift premiums when working evening or overnight.

Meanwhile, data from the Canada Revenue Agency’s registered charity information bank revealed that executives were paid between $160,000 and $299,999 in 2020.

CUPE organizer Dominique Damian-Wallace told 770 CHQR workers are mostly worried about their safety.

“Workers are dealing with overdoses, especially with the closure of safe consumption sites, and they’re seeing an increased use of drugs in the shelters,” Damian-Wallace said.

“They’re also dealing with increased violence, assaults and trauma. They’re hearing draining stories and not getting the support they need. There’s not a lot of support to allow for that grieving process as well as just dealing with the impacts of trauma.

“So in reality, the number one concerns are not wages because people in social work aren’t here for the wages … They want their voices heard.”