Health care union rallies at Sarnia-area MPP’s office for repeal of Bill 124

Health care staff with the union, SEIU Healthcare, rallied Friday afternoon outdoors the constituency business of Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey as aspect of a provincewide push for greater doing work circumstances.

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Well being-care workers with the union, Support Workers International Union Health care, rallied Friday afternoon outside the constituency office of Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey as aspect of a provincewide push for greater performing conditions.

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“Health-treatment staff go on to leave the sector in troubling figures as the (Premier Doug) Ford governing administration fails to implement a extended-phrase technique to address the staffing disaster,” the union reported in a information release.

“They’re really discouraged,” Sandra Jamieson explained about the hundreds of union customers at Bluewater Well being, the place she is the Assistance Employees Global Union (SEIU) co-chairperson

Their stress is with Invoice 124, “which (Premier) Doug Ford demands to repeal so we can deal in superior faith,” she claimed.

The union claimed rallies, like the one particular at Bailey’s office environment, are remaining held throughout Ontario more than the coming days to simply call on the province to boost performing disorders, tackle the “staffing crisis” and repeal Invoice 124.

It reported the legislation handed in 2019 “allows the federal government to impose compensation caps, which include for pension and wellness-care enhancements, on a wide variety of unionized and non-unionized community-sector workplaces.”

Tyler Downey, secretary-treasurer for SEIU Healthcare, attended the rally and mentioned its members “worked really really hard for the duration of the pandemic” and “they are entitled to to cut price and negotiate quite, and Invoice 124 impedes their capacity to do that.”

A latest survey by the union located that 72 per cent of dwelling-treatment workers had been scheduling to go away the sector due to the fact of reduced wages, a lack of added benefits and rising gas price ranges.

“Ontario’s house-care process is at risk of a actual collapse with anything a lot less than total-time work with rewards and noticeably increased wages,” Sharleen Stewart, president of SEIU Health care, reported in a information release.

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“This is an unexpected emergency and should be responded to as these kinds of by Premier Ford’s government,” she stated. “We want urgent action and a approach that will basically work to avert the exodus of staff, normally dwelling-treatment companies are at danger for our most susceptible.”

Bailey explained the government has presented generous pandemic pay out for health and fitness-treatment personnel and earlier this thirty day period announced retention bonuses of up to $5,000 every single for nurses. It has also taken ways to recruit extra personal guidance workers throughout the province, and keep people already in the employment.

He claimed Invoice 124 used to a lot more than a single-million community sector employees and was a response to the provincial deficit.

“Now the economic system appears to be coming back” but “it’s vital we still check out the investing,” he explained.

“We’re looking forward to reinvesting as we appear out of COVID – earning certain that we have the right people today in the right areas to respond to the variety of overall health care and other providers that the individuals of Ontario are worthy of,” Bailey stated.

Well being-treatment workers represented by the SEIU consist of action aides, clerical guidance, developmental support staff, dietary aids, housekeepers, lab techs, maintenance staff, paramedics, registered nurses, registered useful nurses, individual support employees and social employees.

pmorden@postmedia.com