Higgs asked to increase care worker pay

Open letter to Premier Higgs:

The coronavirus crisis has exposed how much the well-being of our most vulnerable depends on workers who are often poorly paid and whose work is only now beginning to be recognized as essential.

This is the fate of attendants, mostly women, who provide care for children, the elderly, people with disabilities and women fleeing violence. These workers deserve the recognition of the essential role they play and must be compensated fairly and equitably. Indeed, their work is neither acknowledged nor valued in our province. They are entrusted with the well-being and security of our most vulnerable citizens but are paid low wages and work in conditions that put their lives and those of their dependents at risk.

Many groups and individuals have long criticized this unfair treatment and have called for change. We believe this crisis has sounded the alarm and made it urgent for all governments, provincial, territorial, municipal and federal, to recognize the importance of their work and to take concrete measures now to improve their work conditions. A society that cares for its most vulnerable and creates winning conditions for those who care for them, is a healthy society.

We, the undersigned, ask our provincial government to act now so that these workers are paid fairly. Do not wait for another crisis to act!

Greg Allain
Réal Allard
Doris Alphonso-Desjardins
Rachel Arseneau-Ferguson
Lucille Auffrey
Maurice Beaudin
Judy Begley
Hélène Branch
Marie Cadieux
France Caissy
Fernande Cantin
Armand Caron
Michèle Caron
Euclide Chiasson
Omer Chouinard
Tobi Colpitts
Cindy C. Comeau
Auréa Cormier
Marianne Cormier
Anne Crocker
Jody Dallaire
Alexandre Cédric Doucet
Linda Dalpé
Madeleine Delaney-LeBlanc
Léandre Desjardins
Lise Duguay
Catalina Ferrer
Victoria Fraser
Rébeka Fraser-Chiasson
Jane Fritz
Kerri Froc
Jeanne d’Arc Gaudet
Huberte Gautreau
Tracy Glynn
Alice Guérette-Breau
Kathy Hamer
Matthew Hayes
Judith A. Holton
Jula Hughes
Louise Imbeault
Mischka Jacobs
Aline Johanns
Krista Johnston
Leslie Kern
Suzette Lagacé
Claudette Lajoie
Aldéa Landry
Nicole Lang
Marc Lanteigne
Brigitte Lavoie
Simone LeBlanc-Rainville
Monique Levesque
Marie-Linda Lord
Sébastien Lord-Émard
Julien Massicotte
Marie-Paule Massiéra
Michel Massiéra
Kathryn McCarroll
Joan McFarland
Isabelle McKee-Allain
Margaret McLaughlin
Rosella Melanson
David Michaud
Sylvie Morin
Lynn Murray
Susan O’Donnell
Lise Ouellette
Rachelle Pascoe-Deslauriers
Pascale Paulin
Stacey Rafferty
Noëlla Richard
Paulette Richard
Jeremy Rickards
Serge Rousselle
Denis Roy
Annette Roy
Liane Roy
Lorio Roy
Norbert Roy
Mary Schryer
Odette Snow
Paulette Sonier Rioux
Suzanne Tarte-Poussart
Bernard Thériault
Evgueni Vichnevetski
Jean-Guy Vienneau
Francis Weil
Phylomène Zangio

cc:        Premier Blaine Higgs
Leader of the Liberal Party Kevin Vickers
Leader of the Green Party David Coon
Leader of the People’s Alliance Kris Austin
Members of the Legislative Assembly
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