Extendicare is one of Canada’s largest private long-term care providers. Last year, the company posted $96.6 million in profit for shareholders, all paid for by seniors and their families. These high profits are made off the backs of the care workers who make these facilities function. Chronic understaffing, high levels of stress-related health issues, and low pay are all pushing workers to the brink. This for-profit provider can afford to provide fair wages, good benefits, and correct the issues caused by their systems. Instead, they have withdrawn from bargaining without meaningful engagement, wanting to push the process to Interest Arbitration in the hope that an arbitrator will force concessions on long term-care workers.  

Whether it is Nurses, RPNS, PSWs, dietary and activity aids providing direct care for residents, or environmental service technicians, maintenance workers, cooks, cleaners, or laundry aids that keep the facilities functioning, every worker matters. When one department is understaffed, all departments feel the strain.  

The laws are clear; residents need to receive prompt and thorough care. They need to be helped out of bed, helped to toilet, fed, washed, and supported 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. If that care is late, workers are punished. When management understaffs a shift, it’s workers who face the consequences.  

Care for residents can’t wait. Support for workers can’t wait, either.