Wage supplement is not cutting it

The Minister of Finance announced on April 30 that a temporary wage supplement program would be introduced to help lower income essential workers during COVID.

Sounds helpful, right? We in health care were hopeful. It’s now mid-june and we continue to ask questions on behalf of our members who work in health care and the community based sector, with no meaningful replies.

While the premier likes to talk about how well cohorting works to flatten the curve and protect our most vulnerable, he obviously does not appreciate the personal sacrifice of these workers.

We know firsthand that the government and the Saskatchewan Health Authority have done nothing (yet) to fix the huge gaps in the wage supplement program and it’s been almost eight weeks of waiting.

Our fear is that those members who are losing their regular income from working two or three jobs (previously) are going to walk away from their care positions now. Once again, our members are telling us that they cannot afford to continue working in health care.

What’s ridiculous is that a worker in long-term care can qualify, yet the same worker in acute care is not eligible.

Our question: If you are a continuing care assistant who provides hands-on care, what difference does it make where you work?

Just because you call a worker essential does not mean you can abuse them repeatedly and then count on them to carry you through the next crisis.

When will Premier Moe realize that he needs to address the hardship that his government has created in health care?

Neil Colmin, Moose Jaw Colmin is vice-president of SEIU-WEST.