Joyce Lusunike

On April 25, 2020, Doug Ford announced Pandemic Pay for eligible frontline healthcare workers, effective for 16 weeks from April 24, 2020 until August 13, 2020. While this was a step in the right direction, tens of thousands of frontline healthcare workers were wrongfully excluded. This is our open letter to the Premier.

The for-profit long-term care corporation confirmed it had no plan to deal with the coronavirus and spent a mere $300,000 of its own money on COVID-19

Since the Ontario government announced their Pandemic Pay at the end of April, we have been in constant discussions with them regarding positions that were excluded, including MDRD, hospital ward and unit clerks, clerical staff, and recreational staff/activity coordinators.

RICHMOND HILL, ON, May 26 – The following is a statement from Sharleen Stewart, president of SEIU Healthcare, the union that represents over 60,000 frontline healthcare workers in Ontario:

COVID-19 has affected the entire world so a multitude of ways. We have seen firsthand how it has affected our membership, the public, and our health system.

On April 16, 2020, I wrote to you requesting that your provincial government use its existing authority in the Long-Term Care Homes Act to take over administrative and operational control of the crisis by putting problematic facilities in trusteeship.

Over the past few days, SEIU Healthcare has organized numerous appreciation car rallies in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, to honour frontline workers and remember our sisters Sharon Roberts, Arlene Reid, and Christine Mandegarian.

Union is calling for three urgent investigations by Premier Ford, the Regional Police, and Ontario’s Chief Coroner to keep people alive and determine accountability.