Strike for workers at Ten Ten Sinclair continues for second day

The strike by healthcare workers at Ten Ten Sinclair continues for a second day, leaving some residents wondering what will happen to them the longer the strike goes on.

“There was no staff here in the building at all as of 10:30 yesterday morning,” explained Lorna Ross.

“We have to be able to be mindful and just do the essential service, which is just quickly get you dressed and give you your breakfast and your medication and call it a day, but that didn’t even happen.”

Ross lives with spastic cerebral palsy and has been living in Ten Ten Sinclair’s Fokus housing, serving people with physical disabilities. She says she stands in solidarity with the workers, saying Ten Ten Sinclair should have put a plan in place to get residents their care once the strike began.

“I do believe they deserve what they are asking for but in my opinion, I believe that there should have been a proper plan in place in order for this strike to proceed based on the fact that they are healthcare aides,” she explained.

“I was very emotional. I was very frustrated because you sit. You sit and you wait and you wonder, okay, is the person going to come? Am I going to have supper? Am I going to go to bed? Am I going to have my meds? Am I going to be able to drain my bag? All these questions roll through my mind and I can imagine they roll through others’.”

Ross, whose condition limits her movement, says she’s been relying on friends and different workers to help with her daily routines such as bathing, getting dressed, and eating. She says other healthcare staff have been brought in to help residents, but the care being provided is nowhere near what regular workers do.

“I do care about you guys and I do have a good relationship with many of you, so please just come together and come up with a solution or an agreement of some sort so that we can continue living our lives.”

President of CUPE Manitoba, Gina McKay, continues to call on the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority for changes – even though bargaining is happening directly between the union and Ten Ten Sinclair.

“We don’t wanna see tenants struggle. We don’t wanna see that. These workers want to be there but also, we also need to take care of the care workers by bringing up their wages. That care sector is so very important,” said McKay.

“Even though they’re not at the physical table, they’re the ones that can say yes or no to how much money is coming in so that the workplace can bargain the wages in a fair way.”

Adding, “Workers are really feeling it. The tenants there see the workers as family and vice versa. Folks want to get back in there and the one way to get there is to get the WRHA back to the table and we can get these workers back into the workplace.”

McKay says workers are able to get back to work right away, as long as Ten Ten Sinclair comes back to the bargaining table with a fair offer.

“A message to the tenants there is that, we’re so happy that you support the workers. They support the tenants as well. Let’s all work together so we can get these workers a fair wage and back in.”

A WRHA spokesperson said in an email statement, that many managers from different programs are helping to coordinate and provide care around the clock, adding onto other contracts Ten Ten Sinclair has secured. It says it’s also providing residents with the number to the Winnipeg Health Region’s client relations line and prioritizing calls to better identify and respond to care concerns.

“This morning the Winnipeg Health Region activated an Incident Command Structure in partnership with Ten Ten Sinclair, a structured and coordinated approach to safely and consistently managing the complex care needs of all residents. Region staff are assisting in scheduling and filling shifts for care aides and nurses, and training agency staff to meet some of the unique needs that are presenting,” it said. 

In a statement Wednesday, the WRHA said it’s working with Ten Ten Sinclair leadership to understand its financial commitment, what’s required to provide its services, and what its management plan is to operate sustainably.

CityNews reached out to Ten Ten Sinclair but has not yet received a response.