On Monday, workers from the Children's Aid Society (CAS) in Ottawa went on strike after talks between officials and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) broke down over the weekend.

The two sides aimed to reach an agreement before Monday morning, but the deadline passed after the sports arbitration court failed to guarantee that there would be no job cuts on the horizon.

Michelle Thorne, president of OPSEU Local 454, said, "Our employer plans to cut at least 20 positions once we finish bargaining."

More than a hundred employees took to the picket line outside the Telesat Court location on Monday, demanding more staff and funding. Many held signs accusing the provincial government of deliberately cutting CAS funding in what union officials described as a move towards privatization.

JP Hornick, president of the OPSEU organization, said, "We're currently facing a $6.3 million deficit, and they need to increase their base funding by $5 million just to keep up."

"This government has been figuring out how to privatize aspects instead of investing the money we need to run the current systems."

Employees on the picket line described a strained workforce facing increasing resource challenges.

Thorne said, "I have workers crying constantly and crying in their cars every day." "They feel completely inadequate."