Ford says PSWS are ‘grossly underpaid’

Ontario premier vows plan for front line staff

• Ontario’s overworked and underpaid personal support workers will soon be receiving government assistance, the province’s premier said Thursday as he heaped praise on a group who have been on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 in longterm care homes.

Doug Ford said recent conversations with PSWS at his mother- in- law’s longterm care home in Toronto shed light on the conditions many are working under. He said he’s aware that many go unpaid for their overtime hours.

“They are grossly underpaid in my opinion,” Ford said at his daily news conference. “We’re going to sit down and we’re going to come up with a solution to support these people.”

Ford did not offer an estimate as to when a plan of action might be ready or any measures it could contain.

But personal support workers have figured prominently in the fight against COVID-19 since the outbreak shifted into high gear in Ontario, prompting the government to impose new rules as case numbers soared in longterm care homes and other congregate-living facilities.

In mid- April, nearly a month after a provincial state of emergency was first declared, Ford announced health-care providers including PSWS would be forced to work in only one long- term care facility at once. At the time, many stated they held multiple jobs at more than one home in order to make end’s meet.

Any changes Ford puts into effect must address the precarious working conditions and financial instability that many support workers struggle with on a daily basis, according to one health-care union that includes PSWS among its members.

The Service Employees International Union Healthcare welcomed Ford’s pledge of help, adding aggressive, specific measures are needed as soon as possible.

“What we need now are historic investments in human resources with more front- line staff, more fulltime employment, and increased universal wages, benefits and pensions for all PSWS,” said SEIU Healthcare president Sharleen Stewart.

Stewart also called on the government to reverse policies enacted during the COVID- 19 crisis, such as wage freezes and a bill that grants the government permission to deny or cancel vacation requests.

The province’s official opposition agreed, with New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath calling on Ford to back up his words with immediate action.

“Staff are paid barely above minimum wage and they’re often stuck trying to put together part-time jobs ... just to make ends meet,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ontario reported 95 new cases of COVID- 19 on Thursday, along with one new death.