Children's aid workers in Ottawa ratify deal, end strike

Adeal has been reached between more than 300 Children's Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO) workers and their employer that endsa more than three-week strike, according to the union.

Workers walked off the job July 8 after contract negotiations broke down over complaints about what the union called a chronic lack of funding.

The workers hadbeen without a contract since the end of 2023. On Tuesday morning, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) posted that a tentative deal had been reached Monday night.

On Wednesday, it said the deal had been ratified.

During their strike, those who were on the picket line said their mainpriorities were securing pay increases that reflected therising cost of livingand protection from layoffs.

The union said that job protection was crucial in the wake of 20 planned job cuts cuts it said would have had"catastrophic" consequences.

It didn't share details of the deal, but said there could still be 38 full-time positions cut over its three years. It also said the system will continue to deteriorate unless there areprovince-wide improvements.

CASO has been operating with a more than $3 million deficit over the past couple years.