Media Release: Strike Notice Served: LutherCare Communities Group Homes
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2024
For Immediate Release - June 8, 2020
Saskatoon – The members of SEIU-West were alarmed by the public statements made by both Premier Scott Moe and the Minister of Health, Jim Reiter, that Saskatchewan Long-Term Care (LTC) sector does not have systemic staffing issues.
“In our view, the content of the recently released CEO report on long-term care is inaccurate, incomplete and misleading,” says SEIU-West President, Barbara Cape. “It lacks the transparency and accountability that should be expected from CEO reports. Our members who work the front line are offended that this report has strayed so far off the mark when it comes to critical staffing issues.
The rationale for providing annual reporting in long-term care arose specifically out of the Ombudsman Report released in 2015. It was intended to act as a report card on health care employer actions to address the challenges contained in that report.
“In this report they are giving themselves a B+,” adds Cape. “A more accurate score would be a failing grade.”
Members and leaders of SEIU-West have gone to great lengths over the last several years to provide compelling evidence about the chronic understaffing in long-term care, and the broader health care sector.
“This current report appears to rely on information gathered by different teams or individuals that chose to visit specific facilities,” continues Cape. “There does not appear to be any reliable data gathering process or consistency in reaching the conclusions in the report. Nor does there seem to be any earnest effort to connect with front line care providers to learn about their day to day challenges even though they are experts in their field and are willing to share their experiences.”
“It seems our health care leadership either lives in a constant state of denial or lacks an appreciation for front line providers and their workload/work life experiences to actually seek them out,” adds Cape.
On behalf of its members, SEIU-West will be providing a response to the SHA CEO Long-Term Care Facility Visits report in the coming days.
“We believe the public needs to be concerned about two things: chronic understaffing in this sector and the systemic lack of accountability and transparency when it comes to the relationship between understaffing/excessive workload and the impact on quality of care. It’s about keeping health care safe for everyone.”
Service Employees International Union West (SEIU-West) represents over 13,000 people across Saskatchewan. They include people who work in health care, education, municipalities, community-based organizations, retirement homes and other sectors. They are joined by one colour – purple – and one union – SEIU-West. Visit PurpleWorks.ca to find out more about SEIU-West members.
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For more information, contact:
Christine Miller, Communications Coordinator
Phone: 306-477-8733
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