Current Research Projects
Queen's University Survey of Core Competencies Pilot Implementation in the Developmental Services Sector
Direct support employees at pilot agencies are invited to take this survey. The purpose of the survey is to evaluate the pilot implementation of core competencies from the perspectives of direct support employees. To complete the survey, please take the following steps:
- Download a copy of the survey here. Save the PDF file to your computer.
- Complete the survey on your computer. You can save the survey and complete it later.
- When you have completed the survey, select the "send" button on page 11 of the survey. this will attached the survey to an email sent directly to the Queen's University research team.
The developmental services sector in Ontario faces critical challenges in the areas of human resource management and labour relations. The ability to recruit, train, and retain developmental service professionals is a critical concern for all stakeholders in the sector. But the challenges facing the developmental services sector go well beyond the traditional concerns of human resource professionals. Public sector restructuring in general and the transformation of developmental services in particular have generated complex and contentious challenges. These challenges have been particularly evident in the area of union-management relations.
In 2007, the sector witnessed large scale disputes by unions seeking to improve wages for front line workers. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) formed coalitions with agencies and family advocates as part of a “We Count Too” campaign to lobby government for more funding. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) launched work stoppages at four Community Living agencies, involving hundreds of workers, to press for greater wage equity in the sector. While the negotiations over these collective agreements have been resolved, the challenges facing the sector remain. This research project provides a multi-faceted study of the human resource and labour relation challenges facing the sector. The project combines qualitative, in-depth case study analyses with quantitative, survey-based studies to better understand the impacts of restructuring in Ontario’s developmental services sector on front line professionals, human resource practices, and union- management relations.
Working papers
Families as employers: Family experiences managing paid support.
Conference presentations & workshops
Activism and union renewal: Britain and the USA. Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations Collective Bargaining Workshop. April 21, 2009. Ithaca, New York.