Houston government can’t fix health care while leaving long-term care workers behind: NDP

HALIFAX – Today, NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender made the following statement on the one-month anniversary of the CUPE long-term care strike:

“Long-term care workers have now been on the picket lines for a month. For the last four weeks these men and women have been out, rain or shine, yet the Houston government still hasn’t delivered a fair deal. This government left these essential workers without a contract for years, dragged its heels on getting back to the table, and forced the people who care for our parents, grandparents, and loved ones onto the picket lines.

The Houston government was elected on a promise to fix health care – but you can’t fix health care while refusing to invest in the people who keep our system running.

These workers aren’t asking for much. They just want to be able to afford a place to live, food for their families, and the opportunity to build their lives here at home. At a time when we’re struggling to recruit and retain health-care workers, the Houston government should be doing everything it can to support the people already doing this essential work.

These workers deserve respect, fair pay, and safe working conditions for the difficult and important work that they do.

If this government is serious about fixing health care, it needs to start by respecting the people who hold our system together every single day. We urge the Houston government to finally treat these workers with the respect they deserve and deliver a fair deal.”

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