‘Slap in the face:’ P.E.I. premier criticized for retention spending plan

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A standing committee assembly that was supposed to debate scope of apply for allied well being staff became a press release on the P.E.I. authorities’s resolution to allot retention cash to a choose few professions within the trade.

Tracy Robertson president of the Worldwide Union of Working Engineers Native 942, referred to as it “surprising” that the plan omits her members — which embrace respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, administrative and scheduling clerks, diagnostic imaging and laboratory technicians.

“We had been excluded from even the session conferences, on goal. And instructed we had been excluded on goal,” stated Robertson on the assembly in Charlottetown, Oct. 19. “If there’s extra (incentives) coming, we weren’t knowledgeable,” stated Brodie MacRae, labour relations supervisor and authorized illustration for the union, who was additionally on the committee assembly.

Premier responds

On Monday, Oct. 17, Premier Dennis King introduced $8 million in retention bonuses for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed sensible nurses, resident care staff and paramedics.

King stated the retention initiative was a very good first step when he spoke to media Oct. 18 in Cornwall and stated effort was aimed toward fields the place it’s troublesome to fill and keep employees.

“We recognize everyone who works throughout the health-care system for certain, we recognize their efforts. We’ll look to do every thing we are able to to verify these individuals within the fields are, in the event that they should be incentivized to stay within the trade, then we’ll definitely work to do this,” he stated.

“However we’ll additionally work within the collective bargaining course of to be sure that they receives a commission adequately for the fantastic service that they do,” stated King. “As a province we acknowledge that we now have to pay extra for the providers we now have, and we’ve been very open about that.”

Employees shortages

Robertson stated there are staffing shortages throughout the board and – finally – which means mattress closures.

“Proper now, they’re all burning out,” she stated. “And if you get an announcement like this … it makes them even angrier they usually don’t need to keep.”

Robertson’s voice shook when she instructed the committee a few laboratory technician who labored time beyond regulation with out pay to finish COVID-19 assessments. One other would go to work at 4 a.m. to arrange for the day earlier than returning dwelling to get their youngsters prepared for college.

Each of these staff had been excluded from the retention incentive.

“They went above and past,” stated Robertson and took a second to compose herself earlier than persevering with. “It was simply such a slap within the face, and such disrespect that solely nursing could be acknowledged. Members are feeling disheartened, they’re feeling underappreciated and fairly frankly, plenty of them – long-term staff – are on the lookout for work elsewhere.”

Mounting criticism

The announcement has confronted criticism from not simply IUOE but in addition members of the Canadian Union of Public Workers (CUPE) whose members weren’t solely excluded from retention incentives, additionally they didn’t obtain any COVID-19 help measures.

O’Leary-Inverness MLA Robert Henderson issued a press launch saying the retention spending was trying to do three issues – thank the employees for his or her efforts in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, retain employees and incentivize those that have left or not too long ago retired keep or rejoin the workforce.

“These are three separate points with three separate timelines of when and who they occurred. In flip, this strategy devalues all three,” the Liberal MLA stated in his launch.

Robertson says authorities must do extra to make her members really feel valued.

“Premier King, Minister Hudson and Well being P.E.I. made it fairly clear that they’ve little regard for the work or abilities of the health-care staff or the work they do past the nursing employees,” stated Robertson.

Alison Jenkins is a well being reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. She could be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @ReporterAlison.