TORONTO – Steven Del Duca, leader of the Ontario Liberals, made the following statement:
PSWs need a permanent wage increase. Instead, Doug Ford today announced an increase of $2 or $3 an hour that will expire in March.
It’s shocking that Doug Ford just doesn’t get it. Staffing levels in long term care facilities are in crisis. We urgently need to retain PSWs, train new ones, and convince PSWs who have left the system to return.
People cannot plan their lives around a temporary wage increase that is at least a dollar per hour less than the pandemic pay some received earlier this year.
Nothing announced today addresses the standard of care in long term care homes. Nothing addresses the quality of food that residents are served.
Doug Ford is months late and a dollar an hour short. He should have announced a permanent wage increase for all PSWs in the system – he didn’t get it done.
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