Pay Our Community Care Workers Their Due

May 1, 2020/Joe Byrne

Community Care workers provide for the Island’s elderly population across the province at private nursing homes and are on the very front line in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Quebec and other parts of Canada the highest toll in both COVID-19 infections and fatalities has been in Community Care seniors’ homes.  For this reason the Province has rightfully placed these facilities on lock-down. Only staff are permitted to enter and exit these facilities. The staff of these Community Care facilities are working under strict regulations to insure their vulnerable elderly clients are not exposed to the virus.

Recognizing the risk to residents in seniors’ homes and the essential value of workers in these facilities, the federal government has earmarked top-up pay to residential care personnel to insure these employees receive at least $2,500 per month.

Premier Dennis King has questioned the top-up payment to these front line workers saying that most are already receiving $2500 per month. The fact of the matter is that many of these essential workers earn barely above minimum wage.

Whether it be in direct personal care, food services or housekeeping, staff at Community Care facilities carry the heavy burden and responsibility of protecting our Seniors from the potentially lethal COVID-19 virus. This in turn impacts their home life and that of their families, knowing that they must take particular care not to inadvertently transmit the virus into the work place.

Premier King must process and deliver the top up payment to these deserving senior care workers right away, while expressing the well-earned gratitude and support as these workers so dutifully provide for our vulnerable elders.

Joe Byrne, Leader
Island New Democrats

For more information contact:
902-367-8228   joebyrne@ndppei.ca

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Joe Byrne

Joe Byrne

Here on PEI, Joe has worked on numerous social programs in rural communities. He has done field work on issues faced by university and college students, has been Director of Youth Ministry, and has also coordinated pastoral planning for the diocese. He remains active in the Latin American Mission Program, and is President of the Cooper Institute, a grass-roots collective for community development. He also counts among his volunteer and community work Charlottetown Abbies soccer, church Youth and Music ministries, Voluntary Resource Council, Peace Vigil Group, Atlantic Council for International Cooperation, Canada World Youth, and Katimavik hosting. He keeps up his interaction with young people as a part-time instructor for the Abegweit Driving School. All of this, he does in addition to his work in the NDP. His vast array of church and community experiences have helped him cultivate his skills in communication, organization, and consensus building, and also brought him the joy of forming hundreds of friendships.

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