Long-term care corporation lobbying for infrastructure upgrades from Ontario government, while paying shareholders over $30M in dividends this year so far.
Richmond Hill, Ontario — Following a week that saw temperatures often feel above 40 degrees Celsius in Ontario, Sienna Senior Living sent a letter on Friday, July 10, 2020 to family members of their residents to address the lack of air conditioning in many of their long-term care homes.
While the letter details temporary solutions that are too late in the process of being implemented to provide some relief to seniors and frontline healthcare workers, it also states that Sienna Senior Living is lobbying for more taxpayer funds from the Ontario government while the company has already paid their shareholders over $30M in dividends so far this year.
Statement from SEIU Healthcare President Sharleen Stewart:
“While Sienna shareholders and executives continue to receive rich payouts, as they have during this entire pandemic, their residents and frontline workers are suffering without air conditioning during an ongoing heatwave, in addition to still confronting the threat of COVID-19.
Instead of taking immediate steps to upgrade its infrastructure, which they can easily afford based on the fact they have already paid out over $30M in dividends to shareholders this year, they are again asking for even more taxpayer dollars to cover the costs. Sienna Senior Living continues to prove repeatedly that their shareholders come before our seniors and frontline heroes.
We are calling on Sienna Senior Living to invest their profits into care and find immediate, long-term solutions that will keep their residents and frontline workers safe.”
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SEIU Healthcare represents more than 60,000 healthcare and community service workers across Ontario. The union’s members work in hospitals, homecare, nursing and retirement homes, and community services throughout the province. www.seiuhealthcare.ca