Health-care workers at Maimonides walk-off the job over delayed provincial bonus payment

Health-care workers and Patients Attendants (PAB) walked off the job at Maimonides Geriatric Centre Thursday morning to protest delays in their coronavirus bonus pay.

Some two dozen nurses and staff stood outside of the facility waving signs, blowing horns and chanting in unison, “where is the money.”

The group of health-care workers claims to have not received the financial ‘pandemic pay’ incentive promised to them by the provincial government.

“We work hard during this COVID-19 and we were promised all this incentive and we didn’t get it,” said PAB Andrea Osborne.

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Osborne claims that all the other departments in the center have received their payment, except for the nursing staff and PAB’s.

“We take the sickness to our families, we worked the overtime hours and we get nothing, we are frustrated.”

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Quebec’s financial incentive program was created to retain essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The incentive program was announced in May to assist workers that are deemed essential during the health crisis.

The program provides eligible workers $100 per week beginning March 15 extending up to 16 weeks. In addition to their regular wages, workers could receive $400 per month for a total of $1,600.

To be eligible, however, workers must earn between $5,000 and $26,500 per year.

The government estimates up to 600,000 full time and part-time workers could benefit from the financial assistance program.

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Maimonides is one of three centers according to the Federation Interprofessionelle de la Sante du Quebec (FIQ) that has seen delays in the payment of incentives for workers.

FIQ president Stavros Birbatakos said the money should have been issued already but was told by health officials that payments will be pushed back for another two weeks.

“It is unacceptable, all of these employees are unhappy and so are we,” Birbatakos said.

“It needs to be done as soon as possible and that means the next payday two weeks from now.”

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Birbatakos said the union is considering legal action if the payment is delayed once more.

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Officials at the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal say the situation regarding the payment of premiums is complex and one that they are in the process of addressing.

“We are working together to try to iron out the issues and hopefully make things run more smoothly for our dedicated employees,” spokesperson Lauren Schwartz said in a statement.

Schwartz says they are currently working in partnership with the union and have informed them of the situation.

She said the issue is being worked on and is a priority and should be resolved by the next pay if not sooner.