Health-care workers rally over ‘pandemic pay premium’
Demonstration to shine light on those workers who are still being denied the wage hike
Health-care workers across Waterloo Region and surrounding areas are expected to take to the streets on Friday in response to Premier Doug Ford’s “pandemic pay premium.”
The demonstration is being run by the local health care division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.
Regional vice-president Lucy Morton, who is responsible for an area spanning from Niagara to Owen Sound, said Thursday she would be attending, walking alongside health-care professionals as they continue to plea for pay premiums for all front-line health-care workers.
Staff from both Cambridge Memorial Hospital and Grand River Hospital are expected to participate.
St. Mary’s General Hospital, which is not hosting its own demonstration, said Thursday it will support its staff joining the Grand River Hospital rally.
“We understand that there are staff at St. Mary’s who are frustrated as a result of not being included in pandemic pay,” said Sherri Ferguson, vice-president of quality, people and performance at St. Mary’s General.
“We support their right to attend the peaceful rally at Grand River Hospital, providing that they work with their department to ensure adequate coverage while they are away.”
Posters for the demonstration, called #INTHISTOGETHER, are complete with a list of precautions to ensure “when demonstrating we want to portray ourselves as professionals.”
It calls to maintain social distances, keep hospital entrances open and remain on sidewalks and off hospital property. A continuation of service must be maintained, patient care must not be affected and all signs should be free of profanity.
The demonstration is set to take place on Friday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
“Hospital professionals in Waterloo Region and surrounding areas are invited to show the Ford government that all hospital employees are deserving of the pandemic pay premium,” reads the poster.
“We work shoulder-to-shoulder each day for patient care and are in this together.”
Posters were seen on the walls in Cambridge Memorial on Thursday.
The demonstration comes after the provincial government announced in April it would be instituting a temporary pandemic pay hike of $4 per hour on top of regular wages, along with monthly lump sum payments of $250 for four months to eligible front-line workers who work more than 100 hours per month.
The pandemic pay will be effective for 16 weeks, from April 24 to Aug. 13.
Its original list of eligible workers — which includes members of the health care, long-term care, retirement home, social services and corrections sectors — excluded both respiratory therapists and paramedics.
After receiving heavy backlash on that decision, both professions were later included into the list.
But other front-line health care workers are still being left out.
In mid-May, protests were seen across the province in response, led by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.