EQUAL PAY DAY: HUNDREDS OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO RALLY IN MISSISSAUGA ON TUESDAY TO DEMAND FAIRNESS FOR ONTARIO WOMEN

RICHMOND HILL, ON, April 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Over 200 frontline long-term care workers will take their voices to long-term care and retirement home operator Chartwell's head office on Equal Pay Day – Tuesday, April 12 – to demand respect, protection, and fair and equal pay for healthcare workers, a field predominantly made up of women.

Chartwell is one of many long-term care and retirement home corporations who make millions of dollars for their shareholders while paying their frontline workers wages that keep them below the poverty line and often require them to work 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet.

Joined by SEIU Healthcare President Sharleen Stewart, the long-term care workers will also be calling out to the Ford government to address two pieces of harmful, anti-women legislation: Bill 124, which limits public sector workers to 1% wage increases per year and Bill 106, which guts the Pay Equity Act and includes a direct attack against women working in long-term care homes.

"After over two years of keeping their residents safe and putting themselves and their families at risk, the Ford government and long-term care corporations continue to disrespect and undervalue our long-term care workers, the majority of whom are women," said SEIU Healthcare President Sharleen Stewart. "Bill 106, which goes to third reading on April 12 – Equal Pay Day – includes a direct attack on the pay equity rights of tens of thousands of working women. It's disgusting that in 2022, we are still forced to fight against anti-women legislation from our own provincial government."

Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2022
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Starting Location: Courtyard Marriott Mississauga West, 290 Derry Road W, Mississauga
Protest Location: Chartwell Head Office, 7070 Derrycrest Drive, Mississauga

SOURCE SEIU Healthcare

For media inquiries, contact: Corey Johnson, SEIU Healthcare, Director of Strategic Communications, 416-529-8909, [email protected]