Group home workers will see their wages increase by 40 cents an hour.
The increase is retroactive to April 1st and was announced by the provincial government yesterday.
Families and Children Minister Stephen Horsman announces 40 cent per hour increase for around 400!employees in #NB group homes #Moncton pic.twitter.com/oPaZ0ce9mI
— 91.9The Bend News (@919TheBendNews) June 27, 2018
President of the New Brunswick Association of Youth Residential Services Mel Kennah says a newly hired youth care worker would usually start at around $15 an hour. Their hope is to work towards wage parity with others who are working with the same clientele.
“This is a stepping stone towards that goal. It’s part of a larger conversation we are having. This isn’t the end of the story, that we are being sent to the back of the line based on this. it is really a step and in the coming months, we will be expecting more announcements.”
Kennah says in this industry, workers are leaving for other positions that involves youth, but are in other departments where there are better hours or better pay..
“Our hope is to be moving towards wage parity in terms of other people working with the same clientele. It would be comfortably in the range of $21 an hour. Our benefits are typically excellent, but our salaries need to be augmented,” Kennah says.
Around 400 people in 34 group homes across the province will benefit from the increase.
