A pandemic re-deployment strategy agreement for where certain health care workers will be situated and when, has been reached, but there are still some wrinkles to be ironed out between the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Health Ministry and health care unions.
President of SEIU-West, Barbara Cape, says the agreement provides for cohorting of staff at one facility, rather than working at more than one, which means less chance of transmission of the virus.
This is because many union members are part-time workers, so they have more than one job to make ends meet.
Whether or not these employees will get the same number of hours at their single, designated workplace and whether the pay will be the same as what it was under public or private health care, has yet to be finalized.
The agreement also provides for the establishment of a labour pool to ensure there are enough people at the COVID-19 centres across the province and at the field hospitals if needed.
Cape adds that another concern is whether there will be enough personal protection equipment.
She says it’s hit and miss depending on the facility.
She believe significantly scaling back the ample warehousing and supply of PPE before the pandemic was a mistake.
Cape would also like to see more permanent PPE production in Canada, rather than having to order from out of the country.
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