Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and poverty activists are taking aim at the proposed provincial budget.

Union members are criss-crossing the province ahead of a rally planned for April 21 at Queen's Park next week.

The union alleges the Liberal government will make poverty worse with its budget.

"Cutting services doesn't help anyone. Working people, poor people all access services under our budget," said CUPE member and health-care worker Patti Jo Encinas. "We're suggesting that freezing the rates, poor people will become sicker."

The government wants to freeze social assistance and delay planned increases in child benefits. The decisions are expected to save the province $90 million.

The maximum someone on social assistance can earn in Ontario is $599.

John Clarke, of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, said the $599 per month hasn't changed much since 1995. If it had been adjusted for inflation people would could receive a max of $938 each month, he said.

"A freeze has a terrible impact on people's health, people's ability to feed themselves and to stay housed," Clarke said.

The government had intended to increase the child benefits by $200 a month. Instead, it will phase in that raise at $100 each month in each of the next two years.

'Cornerstone' of poverty reduction being eliminated

"We're quite concerned," said poverty activist Adam Vasey from Pathway to Potential. The organization is associated with neither CUPE nor the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. "The increase to the Ontario child benefit was a cornerstone of the poverty reduction strategy."

CUPE argues the government savings only make a dent in the deficit. It is asking the government to raise social assistance rates.

The union also wants the government to roll back corporate tax cuts and make the wealthiest Ontarians pay more taxes.

That's a suggestion the NDP is also floating. Still, CUPE is searching for allies right now.

It's disappointed with the NDP's overall position with regard to the budget, despite the fact the party is making a list of demands. There's no love at CUPE for the Progressive Conservatives either. The PCs have long said they will not support the budget.

CUPE, along with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and Vasey promise to continue to fight.

"We'll continue to put pressure on all levels of government, especially the provincial government," Vasey said. "We'll continue to engage in a dialogue about what we think is a better approach."