Health care workers decry 38 layoffs at Perley Health in Ottawa, to hold rally on Wednesday afternoon

Workers are sounding the alarm as provincial funding shortfall drives staffing cuts

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Health care staff represented by CUPE 870 will be holding a rally outside the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre to protest 38 job cuts at the residential care home, as workers demand better staffing levels to improve care.

The cuts at the Perley are part of a wave of health care cuts across the province including at hospitals in Ottawa, Hamilton, Niagara and North Bay. CUPE is blaming the provincial government for insufficient funding as the Financial Accountability Office projects significant staffing cuts based on the government’s spending plan.

“How can this government talk about 'fixing' long-term care while the Perley eliminates 38 vital positions?” said Patty Lowe, a personal support worker and the president of CUPE 870. “Do they have any idea how much suffering the residents will have to bear due to these cuts?”

The Perley told the union that 38 positions are on the chopping block including 18 registered practical nurses and 14 personal support workers.

In a union poll conducted last month, 69 per cent of workers say they are currently not staffed well enough to provide good quality care to residents.

Lowe said understaffing reduces residents’ well-being and quality of life, explaining that it enhances likelihood of infections, injuries and falls, as well as bed sores and pressure ulcers.

She said staffing levels are also a matter of safety – as academic research has documented higher levels of workplace violence and injuries when homes are insufficiently staffed. In the CUPE 870 survey, 16 per cent of staff reported enduring physical violence daily, and 17 per cent said they face violence at least once a week.

“It’s clear that these decisions were not made due to concern for the well-being of staff or residents. It’s simply about saving money due to government budget cuts,” Lowe said.

In October, the FAO said the government’s funding plans would lead to a reduction of 7,200 nurses and nearly 1,800 PSW positions by 2027-28 across health care.

Who:	Health care workers represented by CUPE 870
	Patty Lowe, PSW and president of CUPE 870
	Michael Hurley, president of Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE)
What:	CUPE 870 rally to protest job cuts
Where:	Perley Health, 1750 Russel Road, Ottawa
When:	1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7

:gv/cope491

CUPE 870 Survey Results

- 69 per cent of workers said they disagreed (or somewhat disagreed) with the premise that their units are staffed well enough to provide good quality resident care.

- 62 per cent of workers say face physical violence at least occasionally. 17 per cent say they face violence daily and 16 per cent at least once a week (context: violence is related to staffing levels).

- Only 11 per cent of workers say they are satisfied with their working conditions with another 24 per cent being somewhat satisfied.

Comments by staff about current working conditions and the potential impact of job cuts on resident care (emphasis added)

“Cutting 34 positions will significantly affect resident care by increasing workloads, reducing time for direct care, and contributing to staff burnout, which can compromise residents’ safety and quality of life.”

“That kind of elimination would completely destroy the team that have been built in the units therefore severely impacting the level of care, putting the residents and workers at high risk.”

“More help [is needed] in the dining room during meal times. Residents are not able to enjoy the meals properly if we are rushing to feed while others wait….”

“The people living with us at the Perley are human beings deserving of dignity, respect, and a pleasant comfortable life. Rushing through the basics of hygiene and nourishment and calling that a job well done isn't what being a PSW should be about.”

“With each day becoming more and more a struggle simply to stay on top of the most basic levels of care, sick calls increase. Stress rises. Workers take more risks with their own bodies because they feel pressured by time constraints and ever-increasing demands upon how much work any single person should do.”

“Cutting 34 jobs in a long-term care home would hit everyone hard. Residents might get less attention leading to neglect, experience delays in care, or feel lonely. The staff left behind would have to pick up the extra work, which can be stressful and exhausting, and some might even leave because of burnout….this is very concerning as the staff to resident ratio will increase and will put the staff and the resident at risk for injury and neglect.”