Toronto, Ont. – WoodGreen Community Services applauds the Ontario government for introducing A Plan to Stay Open, which includes legislation that, if passed, will make a permanent increase to wages for frontline Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in home and community and other health sectors.
The permanent wage increase for PSWs will support WoodGreen efforts to recruit and retain PSWs for many of our programs, which serve 37,000 clients in Toronto. Throughout the pandemic, WoodGreen’s PSWs have travelled the city supporting our most vulnerable community members. Their incredible work has kept Toronto seniors and people with disabilities safe at home and out of the hospital. This $3-an-hour wage investment for home and community PSWs will help WoodGreen and other Ontario community organizations to more accurately compensate PSWs for their valuable contribution to our healthcare system.
Increasing wages can ideally increase recruitment and retention of talent. Recruitment and retention of frontline staff has been an ongoing challenge in the home and community care sector, and it has been exacerbated by Bill 124, Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, which limits community care providers' ability to recruit and retain workers due to the wage constraints.
We appreciate the government’s effort to provide this permanent increase and further steps to expand the workforce, however, PSWs in home and community care still remain the lowest paid in the entire health system. The community care sector still requires further government investment so community organizations like WoodGreen have the ability to remain competitive in the labour market and pay our front-line workers the wages they deserve.
ABOUT WOODGREEN COMMUNITY SERVICES (woodgreen.org): WoodGreen is one of the largest social service agencies in Toronto, serving 37,000 people each year. We offer over 75 programs and services tackling the social determinants that affect the health and well-being of individuals in our community.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Jen Mayville, Marketing & Communications Manager; [email protected]; (437) 226-8091 (cell)