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In celebration of Personal Support Worker Day on May 19, 2021 Unifor salutes the contributions of the thousands of Unifor members who work as Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in Ontario, and Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs) in Nova Scotia.
We are especially proud this year to recognize PSW’s who have been on the front lines putting themselves in danger ever day by providing care for others during this unprecedented pandemic. In many health care facilities, PSW’s have been the backbone, providing care throughout the pandemic.
We also remember the two Unifor PSW’s, Leonard Rodriques and Sheila Yakovishin who lost their lives due to COVID-19 contracted in the workplace. They were among the thousands of PSW’s and CCA’s who contracted this disease as they worked through an unimaginable humanitarian crisis, especially in the long-term care sector.
We owe them our respect, gratitude and recognition not just today, but every day.
PSWs and CCAs are incredible caregivers who make sure our loved ones are healthy and safe. This pandemic has further exposed the unjust working conditions these workers face every day due to insufficient government investment and continuous cost-cutting. These workers deserve better as they continue to serve our most vulnerable, despite being overworked and undervalued by governments and employers.
For many years, Unifor has specifically called on the Ontario government to address the issues facing PSWs. The union has long advocated for a regulatory minimum of four hours care per patient as the standard of care in long-term care homes. This year the provincial government in Ontario passed legislation to establish an average of four hours of direct care for long-term care residents by 2024-2025. Unifor continues to call on provincial governments to implement these changes immediately, as the health and safety of residents and workers are on the line.
We now know that residents in long-term care homes died as a result of the conditions of care related to chronic underfunding and not solely to COVID-19. It is inhumane not to provide the resources needed to provide care with respect and dignity for our seniors.
The union will continue to call on governments and employers to provide adequate personal protective equipment, maintain sufficient staffing levels and give fair compensation for long-term care workers during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
