Personal Support Workers (PSWs) need a permanent pay raise this PSW Day
Personal Support Workers (PSWs) need a permanent pay raise this PSW Day
Download Release HereOCSA invites the public to sign a petition so that PSWs are paid the same regardless of where they work
TORONTO, May 19, 2021 – Today is PSW Day and Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) is celebrating the crucial work that PSWs do today and every day, especially during COVID-19. We invite the public to sign our petition
asking the Ontario government to pay PSWs in home and community care the same wages as their counterparts in the health system so that they can continue to keep vulnerable Ontarians safe at home.
PSWs are dedicated and compassionate individuals that should be able to choose where they want to work based on their preferences. Unfortunately, due to years of underfunding, PSWs in home and community care are the lowest paid in the health system, making 19% less than PSWs in hospitals and almost 10% less than PSWs in long-term care. Organizations in our sector have not received regular base funding increases over the past decade, while inflation has increased by over 17%.
“PSWs deserve to be paid a fair wage, no matter who they want to work for in Ontario and this PSW Day we call on the government to make things right by making the temporary wage enhancement permanent and give PSWs in our sector wage equality,” said Deborah Simon, CEO Ontario Community Support Association. “Home and community care agencies have been asked to do more with less year after year and are losing valued staff to other sectors because they do not have the funds to compete.”
Not-for-profit home care agencies are at a breaking point and many of them are unable to provide more support to new people due to lack of staff. Community-based agencies can no longer count on fundraising nor can they expect clients to pick up costs through higher user fees to balance their books. The pandemic has negatively impacted fundraising revenues and left many of the most vulnerable unable to pay. With home and community care not being given additional funds in this year’s budget, we are facing an inevitable crisis.
“We need wage parity for PSWs immediately,” continued Simon. “Without more funds for staff pay as well as base budgets, people are suffering silently at home and caregivers are burning out carrying an unmanageable load.”
Ontarians that want to stay living in their homes and communities are finding it hard to get the support they need to do just that and their caregivers are burnt out. Sign the petition to send a clear message to the government here
and join the conversation using the hashtag #PSWWageEquality on social media.
About OCSA
The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) represents close to 230 not-for-profit organizations that provide home care and community support services to over one million Ontarians. Our members help seniors and people with disabilities live independently in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. These proactive and cost-effective services improve quality of life and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits and premature institutionalization. They are the key to a sustainable health care system for Ontario. For more information, visit www.ocsa.on.ca
or @OCSATweets.
Interviews are available with Deborah Simon, CEO, OCSA. For more information please contact:
Michele Vantrepote
Communications Manager
Ontario Community Support Association
416-256-3010 x 242
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ONTARIO, March 1, 2025 - This March, the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) is proud to stand with communities across Ontario in support of March for Meals, an annual campaign highlighting the essential role of Meals on Wheels programs. Delivered in 181 communities across the province, these programs provide nutritious meals, social connection, and safety checks for vulnerable seniors and adults with disabilities. Meals on Wheels Ontario, with the support of belairdirect, encourages Ontarians to show their support for March for Meals and the local Meals on Wheels programs that serve their communities. Together, these programs deliver over 3 million meals annually and provide vital assistance to nearly 70,000 Ontarians. As the demand for nutritious and affordable meals grows, so too do the challenges faced by local programs—including underfunding and volunteer shortages. Now more than ever, community support is essential to ensuring these programs continue to provide a lifeline to those who need it most. “Meals on Wheels programs are a cornerstone of home and community care in Ontario, ensuring that seniors and adults with disabilities have access to healthy meals, social connection, and safety checks,” says Deborah Simon, CEO of OCSA. “However, these programs face growing demand and funding challenges. March for Meals is an opportunity for all Ontarians to rally around these essential services and support their sustainability so that no one is left behind.” During the month of March, community-based Meals on Wheels programs across the province will host special events, engage local officials, and encourage community participation to raise awareness and support for these critical services. OCSA invites Ontarians to learn more about the impact of Meals on Wheels and explore ways to get involved. For more information on March for Meals and how you can support your local Meals on Wheels program, visit Meals on Wheels Ontario . About OCSA The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) champions a strong, sustainable home and community care sector in Ontario. The association represents over 220 not-for-profit organizations that deliver high-quality services that help seniors, people with disabilities, and those with complex care needs remain independent in their homes and communities. These proactive and cost-effective services prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits and premature institutionalization. For more information visit www.ocsa.on.ca or @OCSATweets For media inquiries please contact: Karla Sealy (she/her) Manager of Communications 416-256-3010/1-800-267-6272, ext 242 karla.sealy@ocsa.on.ca
Voter support strongly linked to party policies on Home and Community Care
Calls on all candidates to pledge to support home and community care
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180 Dundas St. W., Suite 1400-B,Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
416-256-3010 | 1-800-267-OCSA
info@ocsa.on.ca
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13426 9505 RR0001
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INFORMATION
OCSA is being hosted on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13, signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
