Ontario’s pandemic pay premium must become permanent

At the end of April, nearly 400,000 front-line workers in Ontario were issued a $4-per-hour pandemic pay increase in recognition of their service during a health crisis — and, according to the Ford Progressive Conservatives, to “encourage staff to continue working and attract prospective employees.”

The Government of Ontario, however, is set to end pandemic pay, effectively cutting workers’ wages on Aug. 13, even though we’re nowhere near the end of the pandemic.

The services front-line workers provide continue to be invaluable, including after this crisis passes.

Reinstating the wide gap between the compensation front-line workers receive and the actual value of the contributions of their work takes us all in the wrong direction.

We need to do things differently — we need a permanent front-line fund now.

That means making sure that the current wage increase being paid to our front-line heroes doesn’t end in August but instead continues permanently — both for those receiving the boost and the many who’ve been left out.

With the pandemic pay, the province was acknowledging a long-simmering crisis — the reality of front-line workers protecting us during one while being subjected to one themselves, a crisis of low wages and precarious work.

Personal support workers in our longterm care homes, developmental services workers, a whole range of hospital staff, those working at emergency shelters, and so many more: they’ve all been underpaid.

These workers, who are disproportionately women and racialized, have had to deal with low pay, precarious shifts, and immense workloads.

These conditions have led to high turnover rates and have severed the continuity of care Ontarians deserve, and that front-line workers are proud to deliver.

That’s why editorial boards, researchers and a range of organizations echo what workers have always known: the wages are too low to retain and attract staff, and to ensure the stability we need in our communities.

Now’s the time for the Ford government to listen to the experts and learn from past mistakes.

The pandemic has underscored the collective consequences of treating those who do these important jobs in this way. And it’s made it clear to more people than ever that front-line workers deserve better.

These are the workers who’ve cared for our elders, who are fundamental to our health-care system, support the most vulnerable, have maintained our public services, and kept our communities safe, even when they weren’t being adequately protected themselves.

Today, there’s undeniably a recognition of their critical role in our communities — during, prior to, and after this crisis passes.

And I’m confident that Ontarians now know it’s time we fixed the problem of underpaying the most important workers.

When the Ford government first announced the wage adjustment, they left a range of workers out — but we raised our voices and demanded that more workers be included. And the province responded.

We won because of collective action. We can do it again and ensure that wages are not cut, that all front-line workers are included, and that it’s permanent.

The pandemic will pass, but the impact of front-line workers on our communities and recognition of their important role cannot.

We need a permanent front-line fund now.