Child welfare workers in Toronto will begin voting on potential strike action Thursday, with workload and burnout key issues as the provincial government circles potential efficiencies in the sector.
Staff at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, will decide whether or not to grant a strike mandate in bargaining, pushing for better work conditions and balance.
CUPE Local 2316, which represents some 500 workers in Toronto, said it has been in negotiations with the child welfare agency for months, as staff complain about growing burnout.
“Management came to this bargaining (saying) we are $15 million in deficit and we can’t address anything with workload,” Aubrey Gonsalves, union president, told Global News. “Workers are burning out.”
He said managers were disconnected from the reality of everyday experiences for the frontline workforce —accusing the agency of failing to tell provincial leaders about the situation.
“They’ll tell us to our face it’s an underfunding issue, but they won’t say that to the government, nor will they put that in public,” Gonsalves added.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
A spokesperson for the Toronto Children’s Aid Society told Global News the agency respected the union’s right to vote in favour of strike action, but hoped it could be avoided.
They acknowledged the work being undertaken by staff and the pressure frontline child welfare workers can be under.
“We believe that meaningful, system‑level policy updates and changes can play an important role in addressing many of the current concerns facing the sector,” the spokesperson added in a statement.
“We continue to work collaboratively with our partners, staff and stakeholders to uphold our financial sustainability and legislative responsibilities.”
The potential stand-off, however, comes as the Ontario government suggests the child welfare sector is struggling with waste.
Back in October 2024, the government announced a series of audits of children’s aid societies, suggesting they continued to post deficits and employ large numbers of staff, even as cases fell.
During a technical briefing, officials focused on the financial indicators in the province’s child welfare sector, including salaries, real estate portfolios and value for money.
Data presented showed a 49 per cent decrease in open protection cases over the past decade, a 30 per cent decrease in children in care and a 51 per cent decrease in investigations that get transferred to ongoing service.
Children’s aid societies are also reporting losses, according to the government, with $55 million in deficits recorded over the past five years, with further deficits projected for this year.
At the same time, officials showed a three per cent increase in the number of staff and said funding allocations have increased nine per cent. Inflation in that period has increased 28 per cent, according to the Bank of Canada.
Internal government documents, however, suggest the problem is more complicated. They show civil servants worry audits won’t reconcile the issue of high-needs kids entering the child welfare system with more complicated files that result in higher stress and costs.
“There is a high risk that the review will not address the interconnected sectoral issues related to children with special needs and community services,” part of a communications plan, put together before the announcement, warned.
Asked about the Toronto strike vote, the provincial government told Global News it was a “matter between the employer and the unions.”
— With files from Global News’ Nicole Di Donato
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
