QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPP Percy Hatfield (Windsor— Tecumseh) says the Ford government has refused to spend the money to recruit more staff in our long-term care homes, and now a for-profit home in Tecumseh is trying to force PSWs to do more work for even less money.
“PSWs and other health care workers are true heroes. But in long-term care, they are underpaid and overworked. Because this government does not have a staffing strategy, “for-profit” corporations can tell PSWs to do more work for even less money,” said Hatfield.
Hatfield told MPPs at the Ontario legislature Tuesday that Brouillette Manor in Tecumseh, a private numbered company, is at the bargaining table right now trying to cut the wages and benefits of their frontline staff.
“Does the minister think squeezing the staff will fix the atrocious conditions in long-term care homes?,” Hatfield asked Ford’s long-term care minister Merrilee Fullerton during question period.
Hatfield says while the Ford government hands out more money to the private operators behind Brouillette Manor, the home’s PSWs are run off their feet, and are left struggling to deliver the kind of protection our parents and grandparents deserve. The home was already due receive over $73 million to expand, but earlier this month they were given almost $8 million in additional funding by the Ford government.
“This numbered company is trying to reduce the wages and benefits of the front line heroes. The Ford government just granted the company a lot of money for renovations.”
“How can this government reward profit-taking corporations when at the bargaining table those companies treat health care heroes as zeroes?,” asked Hatfield.
Video of Hatfield's questions to Minister Fullerton
Despite the staffing crisis, Ford is allowing private LTC corps to cut wages and benefits for PSWs
Published on December 1, 2020