Undervalued workers can’t fill gaps in female-dominated care sector, says Mount Allison researcher
A Mount Allison University researcher has been looking around the world for ways to address problems in the community-based care sector, which is composed primarily of low-wage female workers.
Professor Rachelle Pascoe-Deslauriers partnered with the NB Coalition for Pay Equity for the research project.
She spoke to CHMA about the study ahead of the Valuing Care Work Summit, which took place on Friday at Mount Allison.
She said there’s been little or no improvement in the sector since she launched the project in Jan. 2022, particularly as inflation hits the bottom line of low-wage workers.
Her study looked at places comparable to New Brunswick, with market economies, a mix of private and public service provision, and aging populations.
Those places include countries like England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and New Zealand, along with provinces including British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.
The care sector includes people who look after seniors, people with disabilities, mental illnesses and others requiring support either at home or in residential facilities.
More than 11,000 workers in New Brunswick make up the community-based care sector, according to the NB Coalition for Pay Equity.
Poor working conditions in that sector have come under closer scrutiny following the arrival of COVID-19.
The care sector in this province is overwhelmingly made up of women whose wages range from $16.50 for special care home workers to $18.80 for family support workers.
The coalition states that wages should range from about $25 to $29 dollars per hour.… Continue
Undervalued workers can’t fill gaps in female-dominated care sector, says Mount Allison researcher
Listen to Tantramar Report for Wednesday, March 15, 2023:
Correction: An earlier version of today’s Tantramar Report stated that residents plan to gather this evening for a community housing meeting. In fact, that meeting is happening tomorrow, Thursday, March 16, between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
… Continue
‘We’re left to fight for scraps’: Underfunding of community sector leaves majority-female workforce exhausted
Nonprofits and charities that make up the community sector perform essential work, but underfunding has left their majority-female workforce exhausted.
That was the message from an advocacy group that demonstrated in the provincial capital on International Women’s Day, calling on governments to invest more in the community sector.
“We’re left to fight for scraps of money among each other,” said Elise Pelletier, communications officer and political analyst for the Moncton-based Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick.
Women make up 80 percent of the workforce in nonprofits and charities, according to a 2020 report (PDF link) published by the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
It’s an area of the economy that provides essential caring work but which is “funded through an inadequate model consisting of unpredictable individual donations and gifts, earned income, and government service and project contracts,” the report states.
Many of the services provided by the community sector affect the well-being and survival of women struggling with issues like homelessness or domestic abuse.
Groups such as Crossroads for Women — which operates an emergency shelter in Moncton for women, trans and non-binary people and their children — saw a surge in reports of domestic violence after COVID-19 resulted in lockdowns beginning in March 2020.
“It’s quite worrying for us to witness that, and to see a provincial government raking in a surplus, while we know specifically which organizations need more funds,” Pelletier said. … Continue
Underfunding of community sector leaves majority-female workforce ‘exhausted,’ say advocates
Listen to Tantramar Report for Thursday, March 9, 2023:
Peaceful occupation of Mount A admin building to continue ‘indefinitely’; student group demands university divest millions from fossil fuels
Listen to Tantramar Report for Monday, March 6, 2023:
University finances under scrutiny as Mount Allison officials appear at legislative committee
Mount Allison officials told MLAs this week that university revenues aren’t keeping up with expenses, even as tuition continues to rise.
“This is true for most universities, and so the simple math is that tuition goes up every year, ” said Robert Inglis, VP of finance and administration, during a meeting of the Select Committee on Public Universities.
The all-party legislative committee routinely holds hearings where public universities report on their operational highlights and field questions from MLAs.
Hearings began on Tuesday morning with a presentation by Inglis, flanked by Jeff Hennessy, Mount A’s university provost and VP academic and research.
Listen to the report that aired on CHMA:
Altogether, Mount Allison has a $54.5 million budget for its current academic year. But with $55.7 million in expenses, it will run a deficit of more than a million dollars.
Fifty per cent of the university’s revenue comes from tuition and student fees, and this year’s budget includes a three per cent tuition hike.
That brings tuition fees to nearly $10,000 for full-time domestic students, and closer to $20,000 for international students.
Another 43 per cent of Mount A’s revenue comes from provincial grants. Compared to tuition, those funds have increased slowly over the years.
Minister of Post-Secondary Education Trevor Holder announced last year that universities in New Brunswick would receive a 1.5 per cent increase in operating grants, with an additional one per cent incentive linked to growth in enrolment. … Continue
‘The simple math is that tuition goes up every year’: Mount Allison officials talk finance at legislative hearing
Listen to Tantramar Report for Wednesday, March 1, 2023:
Fundraising for bursary ongoing two years after death of Mount A grad remembered for compassion and intelligence
When Mount Allison graduate Kavana Wa Kilele died unexpectedly two years ago in her home country of Kenya, a group of people came together to establish an endowment to honour her memory.
The goal is to create a needs-based bursary that will support Black students who are passionate about social justice activism. It will be Mount Allison’s first endowment meant specifically to support Black students.
Kavana has been described as a beloved friend known for her compassion and intelligence. She co-founded the Sackville Refugee Response Coalition, which helped resettle several families in the Maritimes.
“I know she was definitely an important part of the Sackville community and the Mount A community,” said Helen Yao, a Mount Allison graduate involved in the effort.
About $10,000 has been raised towards the goal of $25,000 for the endowment so far. Once that goal is achieved, the bursary is expected to become self-sustaining, producing about $1,000 per year.
During Black History Month, organizers are asking local businesses to pitch in, noting that Kavana held a number of jobs around town to afford her studies. Tuition for international students at Mount Allison is about $20,000, approximately double that of domestic students.
Kit Nicholson, who was a close friend of Kavana, described her as a natural leader who left a powerful impression. “She… Continue
Updated: Stormwater project approved without pedestrian bridge, trees, or promise of a new aboiteau
NOTE: Updated Wednesday, February 15, 2023 to reflect a decision by Tantramar council.
The province of New Brunswick says it has not committed to replacing an aboiteau that would play a key role in draining a multi-million floodwater system slated to be completed in Sackville by the end of this year.
The engineer heading up the final phase of the Lorne Street Floodwater Mitigation project was in Sackville town hall on Monday to give Tantramar council an overview of the project.
At their meeting on Tuesday, Council awarded a contract to Beale and Inch Construction worth just over $5 million to complete the project, which involves digging a third retention pond on the far side of Charles Street, and channeling water under roads and the CN rail line out to the Tantramar River. That’s where the water would flow out through an aboiteau owned by the province, which lets fresh water flow out into the river, but blocks tidal water from flowing in.
Unlike the last time he appeared before council, project lead Pierre Plourde of Englobe Engineering seemed confident that the replacement of the aboiteau was not a dealbreaker for the project to work.
“Our stormwater strategy is somewhat dependent on that aboiteau, but not entirely,” Plourde told council Monday. “What will happen when the aboiteau is upgraded in the future, it will allow the water to move faster within the system.… Continue
‘We’re all here to make a point’: Rowdy public meeting over French immersion signals trouble ahead for Department of Education policy
Listen to Tantramar Report for Monday, January 23, 2023: