“I would say the one concern at my site is that people feel under appreciated. We don’t think we’re paid enough for the work we do.
And while we welcome the levelling of wages in seniors care, we don’t have counselling in our benefits plan, or a pension. We see people leaving our private long term care facility to work elsewhere for better benefits. Mostly, they go to work at the hospital.
I’m 42 and I’ve been at my site for 18 years. A pension for me would be life altering. I’m now thinking about the end of my career. I believe we have to hit bargaining hard and fight for what we deserve.
I’m the chief shop steward and I’ve been involved in the union on and off for a few years. A union gives us stability and ensures a level playing field for all of us. It protects us.
I’m an outgoing and up-front person. I saw the struggles people were going through at my site and because using my voice isn’t an issue for me, I decided to get active. My advice to my fellow health care workers is to put your time into your union local. Stay involved and make it better for your fellow employees.”
- Charlene, care aide, part of the health care team