Ottawa Salvation Army workers strike for fair wages

Sixty Salvation Army aid workers in Ottawa, members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, went on strike on January 6. The strike began over a large wage disparity of $5 an hour between those workers at the Salvation Army and those doing similar work at organizations such as Union Mission.

The Salvation Army is remaining open and resisting the demands on the grounds that they’re concerned about the homeless and low-income Ottawa residents they serve. But as one striking worker said, “the majority of the clients support this. They feel that we’re their family, we’ve been taking care of them for long periods of time

Regardless of the sector they work in, all workers deserve to be paid a fair wage, and those the Salvation Army serve seem to agree. One homeless man was quoted as saying, “They should have equal parity with the Union Mission and the Shepherd’s of Good Hope. They do exactly the same work just as well.”