Ontario further extends temporary wage increase for personal support workers

By Staff The Canadian Press

Posted October 28, 2021 8:13 am EST

1 min read

This article is more than 3 years old and some information may not be up to date.

In a push to recruit more personal support care workers, Premier Doug Ford said on Monday he is committed to making the $3 pandemic top-up for pay permanent. But advocates and his opposition critics say that isn’t enough to recruit enough new employees, and should’ve been done already. Matthew Bingley reports – Jul 5, 2021

TORONTO — Ontario is extending a temporary wage increase for more than 150,000 publicly funded personal support workers until the end of March.

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The boost of between two and three dollars an hour was introduced last October, and was due to expire at the end of the month.

The province brought in the raise in an effort to attract new employees and retain existing ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The province says the extension will cost $373 million.

Eligible workers in home and community care and long-term care have had their wages boosted by $3, as do people providing personal and direct support for children, community and social services.

Personal support workers in hospitals have a temporary $2 per hour raise.