CUPE is pleased to see NDP leader Jagmeet Singh pledge Tuesday that an NDP government would end for-profit long-term care (LTC) and commit to a Care Guarantee.
CUPE members and Canadians at large expect our federal government to take real, meaningful action to address the unthinkable tragedies that took place in long-term care during the pandemic.
But we also have to recognize that conditions in many long-term care homes were bleak before the pandemic too.
The understaffing and the lack of resources that cause so much suffering in long-term care are the direct result of cost-cutting so that for-profit operators can turn a profit to shareholders – and it is residents and workers who pay the price.
Mountains of evidence have proven that not-for-profit care delivers better outcomes for residents and better working conditions for workers, and CUPE has been calling for action to address the problems in long-term care for decades.
We are encouraged to see the NDP make this important pledge, and we call on other parties to follow suit. It’s the least they can do for the people who have borne the worst effects of this pandemic.
CUPE members bravely answered the call on the front lines of the response to COVID-19. But the pandemic showed us just how far we have to go to deliver better care to those who need it. In this election, better care for all is on the ballot.
Long-term care
Long-term care in Canada was in a crisis before COVID-19 – and the pandemic pulled back the curtain on just how bad things were for residents and workers alike. Long-term care is health care – and in Canada, there should be no place for greed and profiteering in our health care system. It’s been almost a year since the Trudeau Liberals promised to fix long-term care, and nothing has changed. The Liberals have completely failed to act. It’s time to bring long-term care under the Canada Health Act, making it a publicly funded and delivered health care service accessible to everyone. Residents should be guaranteed a minimum of 4.1 hours of care per day, and workers should be guaranteed a secure job and a livable wage. In this election, let’s vote to fix long-term care.
Child care
Our economy doesn’t work without quality, affordable, accessible child care. The pandemic made that clear. We know that public investment in child care isn’t just good for kids – it also advances women’s economic participation, and creates jobs and grows the economy. The BC NDP government recently signed a landmark agreement with the federal government to move forward with $10-a-day child care across the province – clear proof of the progress we can make with NDP governments in office. In this election, let’s vote for affordable, quality, accessible child care and good-paying, secure jobs for child care workers.
Pharmacare
Millions of Canadians have no prescription drug coverage, and one in ten people in Canada can’t afford their medication at all. But despite decades of studies and repeated election promises, the Trudeau Liberals have consistently stood in the way of enacting a national pharmacare program since taking office in 2015. A national, universal pharmacare plan is the only way to ensure equitable access to essential medications for all Canadians, while also lowering the cost of drugs for families, workers, governments, and employers. This election, let’s vote to make a national pharmacare program a reality.