Statement from Tyler Downey, President of SEIU Healthcare Canada:
Our union is stepping up with innovative solutions to address Canada’s healthcare worker shortage and meet the needs of seniors. Today, with Budget 2026, the federal government is showing that it has our back.
Through the Build Communities Strong Fund, Budget 2026 includes a commitment to support our SEIU National Centre for Training and Development.
This investment in our union is about working together to meet our obligations to hardworking frontline staff and to the vulnerable seniors and patients we serve across the healthcare system.
In Ontario alone, projections indicate that we will need more than 33,000 new nurses and 50,000 new personal support workers by 2032. Investing in union workforce training will help us close that gap and ensure reliable, high-quality care for vulnerable Canadians.
We also applaud efforts to help lift 15,000 Canadians out of poverty by introducing a new Caregiver Tax Credit that would provide unpaid caregivers with up to $1,260 annually.
These measures build on the federal government’s commitment in last year’s budget to put more money in the pockets of PSWs. Starting next year, the new refundable Personal Support Worker Tax Credit will provide up to $1,100 a year for five years.
We thank Prime Minister Carney for his steady leadership during extraordinary times, Finance Minister Champagne for including investments in the care economy, and Secretary of State Zerucelli for his ongoing collaboration and strong advocacy for unions and workers.
This budget is a win for union workforce training, a win for families, and a win for care.