CUPE 204, representing 14,000 well being care assist employees within the Winnipeg Regional Well being Authority (WRHA) and Shared Well being, filed a grievance calling on the well being authorities to completely implement the contract which assist workers agreed to in September 2022.
“The well being authorities and authorities are as soon as once more treating well being care assist workers like they don’t matter,” says Debbie Boissonneault, President of CUPE 204. “It took years of exhausting bargaining to barter this contract with this authorities, and now they’re delaying implementation of necessary enhancements for well being care assist employees.”
Whereas the federal government was fast to mandate extra time for a lot of well being care assist workers, it has taken greater than three months to supply the promised will increase to shift premiums, trip scheduling, and even espresso breaks for dwelling care employees: all of which have been touted as necessary for recruiting and retaining frontline well being care employees.
“The well being authorities inform us that it takes time to make adjustments in human sources, however they appear to be completely in a position to make the adjustments that swimsuit administration, and never the frontline employees,” stated Boissonneault. “Frontline employees are telling us that they’re actually annoyed with this authorities’s therapy of the well being care assist workers.”
The brand new contract was ratified on September 23, 2022, and consists of enhancements for Manitoba dwelling care employees that would offer them with a espresso break. The well being authorities are utilizing their complete 120 days post-ratification to implement one thing so simple as a espresso break.
“Both the federal government is unable to handle easy human sources adjustments, or they’re so set towards enhancements for frontline employees that they’re dragging their heels to the final minute,” says Boissonneault. “Both manner, Manitoba’s frontline well being care employees deserve higher.”
The brand new contract for well being care assist employees is in impact from 2017 – 2024 and took years to barter on account of authorities restructuring of the well being care system, closure of emergency rooms, and the federal government’s tried wage freeze for frontline well being care employees.
CUPE 204 represents assist workers within the WRHA and Shared Well being, together with well being care aides, dwelling care employees, dietary and vitamin workers, laundry, upkeep, safety guards, clerks, and extra in hospitals and care houses throughout Winnipeg and a few rural communities.
