HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS DESERVE EQUITY Health care providers, members of CUPE, SEIU and SGEU, and your employees, are determined to win collective agreements that are fair and equitable. Health care provider contract demands are not unreasonable – they want to be treated like every other member of the health care team. Those demands include the provision of the same extended health benefits plan for all members of the health care team. They should not have to accept a two-tier health benefits system based on an “ability to pay” test. Workload issues need to be addressed to reduce workplace injuries. Health care has the highest WCB injury rate in the province. Health care providers believe the same shift/weekend premiums, standby pay, vacation entitlements and professional fee reimbursement should be provided to all members of the health care team. Likewise, all members of the health care team should have the same access to family/caregiver leave. I support the health care providers in their call for no privatization or contracting out of our public health care system. Publicly owned, publicly administered and publicly funded health care is the most efficient way to provide equal access to affordable and quality health care. Health care providers are the backbone of health care. They provide the essential framework that supports the entire health care team. They deserve to be treated with respect and they deserve a fair collective agreement. I strongly encourage the government, SAHO, and the employer representatives at the bargaining tables to get interested in negotiating collective agreements that are fair and equitable. We all need to ensure our public health care system does not harm or mistreat the very people we depend on to provide care and service to us.
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