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TORONTO – Unifor is calling on Doug Ford to immediately revise the Ontario's pandemic pay premium to include all health care workers. "I applauded Doug Ford when he announced the pandemic pay premium for health care workers but the devil is always in the details," said, Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "The premium leaves out many hospital workers, some of whom are doing the same job as those in long-term care and social services. This is disappointing at the very least and Doug Ford must correct this immediately." Unifor welcomed the April 25 announcement by the government to offer $4 per hour "pandemic pay premium" to front-line health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. "After the announcement we immediately called on the provincial government to expand the list of those eligible for the pandemic premium. Though the government listened and added some front-line workers, a slew of workers who play key roles in keeping our hospitals running and making sure patient needs are met are still left out," said Dias. We are calling on the government to ensure that all support and auxiliary staff in hospitals are eligible for the pandemic pay. All hospital workers are subject to the government's emergency orders, including redeployment. This includes dietary aides, stores workers, clerks, pharmacy technicians, laboratory, x-ray technologists, and all the others that contribute to the care of patients. "The government must fill the gaps and make sure that all of these important workers are eligible for pandemic pay, and take an inclusive approach as they did in the long-term care and retirement home sectors," said Dias.
