Temporary Wage Top-up for Personal Support Workers Should Be Made Permanent

The Ontario government has announced that its temporary wage enhancements for PSWs and others in the healthcare sector will be extended until the end of June

Cambridge, ON—On the heels of the Ontario government’s announcement that it will extend the temporary wage enhancements for the province’s personal support workers (PSWs) until June 30, CLAC is voicing the need for a permanent solution that will address worker shortages in the healthcare sector.

CLAC represents 8,000 healthcare workers across Ontario. The organization believes that while the extension of these government-funded wage top-ups is a positive starting point, they will do little in the long run to help inject and keep skilled workers in the long term care and homecare sectors.

“Creating a strong healthcare workforce will require more than temporary wage enhancements for a single classification of healthcare workers,” says Michael Reid, CLAC Ontario healthcare coordinator. “Whether it is the Drummond Report commissioned by the previous government, or the more recent staffing study by the current government, experts have advised the government against sweeping wage freezes and caps to balance the budget. They instead recommend that classifications of workers and particular government services be funded based on a prioritization of need.

“Wages clearly need an upward adjustment if we are going to be able to provide care in all aspects of healthcare, from community care to hospitals. Addressing worker shortages and ending hallway medicine will require permanent wage increases for this sector.”

For more information regarding CLAC’s recommendations for Ontario’s healthcare sector, please refer to the organization's 2021 prebudget submission.