For Immediate Release - November 7, 2019
Moose Jaw – SEIU-West members were talking to the public outside of Moose Jaw City Hall today to discuss the day to day challenges they face in the health care sector.
“It’s reassuring that the public sees the problems we face day to day in our jobs,” said Neil Colmin, Vice-President of SEIU-West. “They really support our calls to end understaffing in all health care workplaces.”
SEIU-West Health care providers who work in hospitals, long-term care homes, and home care have been bringing their message out to the public to garner support for provincial investment in front line service providers.
“The fact is that health care is reliant on people to provide care,” continued Colmin. “People receiving care deserve to have a full complement of staff to meet their health service needs on a day to day basis. As front-line care providers, we shouldn’t be put in a situation where we have to choose between whether a resident gets their bath or another receives assistance in getting up for the day.”
For years, SEIU-West members and the public have brought their concerns over safe staffing in health care to the attention of their elected representatives.
“This is not a new problem,” admits Colmin. “But it’s a problem that can be solved by investing in the people of Saskatchewan – we deserve fully funded, fully staffed, fully public health care services. It is at the very core a safety issue for everyone, our patients, clients, and residents above all.
We know that recruitment challenges exist in health care; these cannot be addressed when we are faced with too many workplace injuries, unsafe care environments, and stagnant wages.”
Visit EndUnderstaffing.ca to find out more about this issue and to send a letter to decision makers.
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. Purple works in our communities! Visit PurpleWorks.ca to find out more about SEIU-West members.
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For more information, contact:
Christine Miller, Communications Coordinator
Phone: 306-652-1011 ext. 8733
Click here to download SEIU-West's media release 'Moose Jaw: Let's put Care First and End Understaffing!'