A recruitment and retention crisis in the health care sector is very acutely playing out at the South Riverdale Community Health Centre.
For years, these workers have faced wage freezes, inadequate paid leaves and benefit entitlements, and lacked decent working conditions and the respect that all workers deserve.
SRCHC workers provide critical healthcare and community support services, including primary care, diabetes education, community food programs, transportation support and programming for seniors, counselling, support groups, and harm reduction programs in response to the opioid overdose epidemic.
In the last two years 42 percent of the health centre’s workers have resigned. These resignations deeply affect the staff at SRCHC, and they also deeply affect clients accessing healthcare services.
The employer’s offers at the bargaining table do not adequately address the financial catch-up needed due to years of wage freezes, nor do they put a dent in solving the recruitment, retention, and workload crisis that is undermining the vital services these health care workers provide.
Over half of CUPE Local 5399’s members have had to cut back on food costs in the last year and 65 per cent struggle to pay their rent or mortgage, heating, car payments and student debt. One in three SRCHC workers are working extra jobs to make ends meet. This is unacceptable.
Despite the challenges of low pay, understaffing and workload stress affecting their own health, and mounting workload stress impacting them, SRCHC workers have continued to show up every day and continue their work with care and dedication.
These workers need and deserve the wage and benefit improvements that will address the increased cost of living, and that will resolve the understaffing and resulting workload crises.
Sign your name to demand that workers at South Riverdale Community Health Centre get the respect they deserve! Your email will be sent to the board of directors and Senior Management of SRCHC.
