ADAM OLSEN: Minister after Minister stood and used the questions to attack the past 16 years of poor management from the former government
During Question Period last week, MLAs grilled the government on the
low-wage redress package offered to some workers in the social care industry.
As of April 1, unionized social care workers will receive a bump in their wages
beyond the standard 2% increase.
This wage increase is welcome because social care workers make low wages
for the work they do. Their work is both important and difficult. They are an
overworked and under-appreciated sector of our society.
The problem with the wage increase is that
only unionized workers get it — non-unionized workers do not get the increase,
even when they might be doing the same work and work for the same company.
Many BC Liberals stood in Question Period and asked why this was so, and
tried to get in criticisms of how the government handled the issue.
I stood in Question Period
and asked for an answer "that
doesn't pivot to the last 16 years. I want the Minister of Social Development
to please explain why the $40 million low-wage redress agreement couldn't also
be applied to non-unionized non-profits?”
There was no answer forth coming. Just more of the same.
The simple answer to our questions, about inequality, is that low-wage
redress was negotiated as a benefit in a new collective agreement that came
into force on April 1st. Seemingly, that is a perfectly reasonable explanation.
"FOR 16 YEARS..."
But instead of providing this answer, Minister after Minister stood and
used the questions to attack the past 16 years of poor management from the
former government.
These political answers did not move low-wage workers forward. Nor do
they address the inequality of one set of workers getting increases while the
other set gets nothing.
Giving unionized workers low-wage redress, an extra pay bump, while
ignoring the non-unionized worker is unfair. This decision has now created two
classes of workers. This is unfair to the workers who in many cases are doing
the same work. In addition, it could have impacts on the quality of service we
provide to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
It's unclear if this was an honest mistake or intentional.
Did the government simply overlook the potential cruel consequences on
clients who in many cases cannot stand up for themselves? Or, is this a gentle
nudge to the non-unionized workforce that they could also get a sweeter deal by
organizing?
Don't politicize neglect, fix it!
The responses to questions last week were weak. Raging about the state
of the industry and the level of disrepair from 16 years of neglect does
nothing to fix it. This should not be a politicized issue. This issue is not a
BC NDP/BC Liberal thing.
To be clear, I am glad we are raising wages in the
social care industry.
Unfortunately, the government has decided to create two different
classes of workers in the process. Instead, they should implement fair wage
policies that would ensure workers get equal pay for equal work.
It is time to stop politicizing issues like this into NDP / Liberal
squabbles. The fix we need here is to stop trying to gain political points over
each other and ensure all workers receive equal pay for equal work.
Adam Olsen is the Member of the Legislative
Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands
Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived,
worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula.
He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their
two children, Silas and Ella.
Comments
Post a Comment