Healthcare Workers



According to the Star, Ontario Provincial Health Care spending in 2019 was $3903 per person. Toronto.com claims that spending increased to $4730 per person in 2021. That’s a 21% increase. Of course, the cause is clear. It’s a bit hard to make comparisons during a pandemic. The Ontario government spent $466 million less than planned pre-pandemic. We can see the claims coming. “We’re spending more.” “We’re doing all we can.” “It’s not our fault.” “It’s the unions.” “It’s the pandemic.” “We inherited a broken system from the Liberals.”

Actually, that last cry is not too far from the truth. The previous Liberal government froze hospital budgets and cut 1600 nursing positions. But instead of fixing the problem the current government continues to add stress to the system with a wage freeze bill and a refusal to examine the real factors that make work during a pandemic seem like a war zone.

Ontario needs more nurses and PSWs but instead they are leaving due to the stress their jobs create. Stress not only from overcrowding but also from frozen wages, poor working conditions, lack of full time positions with benefits and job security.

The PCs are promising to “invest” in hospitals. Is that new money or another proclamation on an existing budget line? They promise to build more long term care beds. This is double-speak for “We’ll give our friends a big pile of money . . “ to build for-profit LTCs that are understaffed by part-timers with no benefits or job security. And, of course, they’ll double a round of child benefit payments to parents because, “Hey . . it’s what we do. We buy votes.” Oh, and they’ll give you a tax credit if you are training. How is that going to make working in health care more appealing?

The NDP knows that what we really need is a plan. Ontario needs a plan that trains new health care workers and gives them full-time jobs and fair wages. A plan that funds hospitals, long-term care homes, and other health care settings to have enough staff on each shift to ensure that people get the best care, and staff are protected from burnout.

#ndpmilton #ontariondp #healthcare #fairwages #fulltimework #betterworkingconditions

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