2009/11/15

Nursing home staff deserve better pay

A letter to Brian Kenny:
This letter is to notify you that the union staff members of the Foyer Notre Dames de Lourdes will be at your office on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon.

As a strong advocate for seniors in nursing homes, I fully support their action and efforts for the following reasons:

These people work very hard. They have to care for six to seven total care level 3 and 4 residents. The residents must be fed, bathed, changed, turned and emotionally cared for 24 hours per day.

There's a shortage of staff because this government has refused to provide the residents with the 3.5 hours of care that they truly require. The staff in nursing homes must have the same salary as those working in the hospitals in New Brunswick.

If this does not happen, the nursing homes will loose their staff to the hospitals and once again the residents will suffer.

Please listen and settle their contract.

They deserve our respect. They are caring for the most vulnerable citizens in our province.

VERONICA RATCHFORD
Bathurst
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