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cisco Guide

cisco

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Posted

Maybe compare the cost of your meds to from there to another.

Media was on yesterday morning discussing how the circle 'paint' hopefully was environmentally friendly. Same stuff used for soccer and football field lines buy hey now is the time to explore this 'crucial' issue. Nothing better to discuss? How about 30 day limits on prescriptions and more dispensing fees as result. How about the $$$$$ saved by government not having to pay pensions and security on now deceased elders. Government knew all along our seniors were going to be targeted by the virus. But our PM will 'discuss' the military's report on Long Term Care facility elder abuse tomorrow with the Premiers. I am so tired of repeatedly hearing "My heart goes out......" "Elders are our first priority..." or best one I have seen yet, where both the Premier and Toronto Mayor each stood there and crowed " Oh proud to be here at the opening of this big Food Bank" trying to skim some kind of credit over it. IMHO needing more food banks simply means our gov't isn't helping those in need enough. They should be made ashamed of this by the media not 'heroed'.

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
cisco Guide

cisco

Posted
Posted (edited)

Did some snooping and seems hospitals are 'pigs to the trough' getting gov't funding to stuff into their Admin pockets. Gov't has somehow been conned into believing that bad training at Long Term care facilities (LTCs) is the big issue...enter hospitals who get paid to retrain the workers.....but this retraining means hiring (they call it redeployment) the  LTC workers to walk around with hospital workers learning what they already know....how to clean. Hospital Admin stuffs the loot into its greedy pockets while not using classrooms to teach but instead have no social distancing as hospital workers train the new hires. Only thing the Admin gives is gloves, masks and uniforms. AND gets $$$$$ for nothing and cheques for free..... as the song goes.

But now the Part-time ranks are swelling with these new part-time hires and this means drastically cut hours for existing Part Time hospital workers. So much for 'championing' front line workers and 'considering' paying them more money for the hazard faced from Covid-19. Part Time workers are earning less take home now.

Meanwhile the 'lack of training' isn't the problem at all. There are three differences as to why hospitals have hardly any Covid-19 outbreaks compared to LTCs. 

1. Relatively lower pay at LTCs which forces workers to go to work sick to pay the bills.

2. No sick day provisions at LTCs so days off sick mean less pay/ability to pay bills. So again, off to work....

3. No union protection at LTCs. Come in sick or maybe get punished.  With Covid-19 you are ordered to take care of the same number of residents but now do way more work due to isolation protocol, sanitizing and increased resident needs. Oh and with scant protective equipment provided by the PRIVATELY owned LTCs who are in it for the $$$ and nothing more. Kinda like 'take your work home with you'. Catching Covid and taking it home to family is a 'bonus' to front line workers. 

Gov't preaches but is either playing or is dumb for real. 

Hospital Admin salaries and bonuses are based on how big their budget grows and how much is not spent at years end since not-for-profit corporations like hospitals can't carry profit into the next fiscal year. $$$$$BONUS time$$$$$!!

Edited by cisco
cisco Guide

cisco

Posted
Posted

Update on my last post. Part time workers were working the shifts they were scheduled but some were too scared with coming in when called for more shifts. So hospitals hired way more Part Time workers to compensate for this. This point seems a bit fishy since many of the new hires were from LTC (Long Term Care) and the Ford gov't mentioned they are 'retraining them' with no details. IMHO the gov't considering paying front-line hospital workers more due to risk has been answered by hiring more part-timers instead of paying existing workers more. So I very much doubt more hourly pay is on the horizon for front-line workers. Up to the unions to protect incomes but unions are too close to management and work hard to collect their dues only IMHO.     

Not sure if and how many here care about Covid 'updates' but nice to vent on things explained to me by workers there. Seems the 'reopening' will be based solely on keeping ICU Covid numbers at or below the max.. Numbers are OK now but air travel is starting back up and the US/Cndn border re-opening will no doubt raise numbers again. The US has some serious outbreak states and many may want to get here. Their UI runs out end of month and desperation may interfere with food shipments to Canada. So stock up on things just in case. Big bag of rice....canned/frozen veggies and fruit. Canada has just had its credit score dropped and banks are eager to soon start foreclosing and absorbing assets. The economy cannot recover with so many lost service jobs and businesses restricted by social distancing and employers will surely drop wages as supply/demand offers them workers desperate to work.   

OhioFisherman Fishing God

OhioFisherman

Posted
Posted
On 7/1/2020 at 8:03 AM, cisco said:

Update on my last post. Part time workers were working the shifts they were scheduled but some were too scared with coming in when called for more shifts. So hospitals hired way more Part Time workers to compensate for this. This point seems a bit fishy since many of the new hires were from LTC (Long Term Care) and the Ford gov't mentioned they are 'retraining them' with no details. IMHO the gov't considering paying front-line hospital workers more due to risk has been answered by hiring more part-timers instead of paying existing workers more. So I very much doubt more hourly pay is on the horizon for front-line workers. Up to the unions to protect incomes but unions are too close to management and work hard to collect their dues only IMHO.     

Not sure if and how many here care about Covid 'updates' but nice to vent on things explained to me by workers there. Seems the 'reopening' will be based solely on keeping ICU Covid numbers at or below the max.. Numbers are OK now but air travel is starting back up and the US/Cndn border re-opening will no doubt raise numbers again. The US has some serious outbreak states and many may want to get here. Their UI runs out end of month and desperation may interfere with food shipments to Canada. So stock up on things just in case. Big bag of rice....canned/frozen veggies and fruit. Canada has just had its credit score dropped and banks are eager to soon start foreclosing and absorbing assets. The economy cannot recover with so many lost service jobs and businesses restricted by social distancing and employers will surely drop wages as supply/demand offers them workers desperate to work.   

I don't know how your system works up there Cisco, but I am guessing ours is somewhat similar? After my stint in the nursing home last summer things got a new clarity? Here when you hit the button for a nurse you generally get a STNA ( state tested nursing assistant ), there are definite limits on what they are allowed to do, window dressing to make people think the facility is properly staffed? LOL they had a help wanted sign out the whole time I was in looking for them, like 11.50 an hour?

tomO Almost a Guide

tomO

Posted
Posted

My wife works at a nursing facility as a housekeeping supervisor, New hires start in at minimum wage. $8.75 hr. Can't get anyone, because it's not a livable wage.

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Fisherman Fishing God

Fisherman

Posted
Posted
38 minutes ago, tomO said:

My wife works at a nursing facility as a housekeeping supervisor, New hires start in at minimum wage. $8.75 hr. Can't get anyone, because it's not a livable wage.

That's not worth the gas to get to work and back.

 

  • Like 2
cisco Guide

cisco

Posted
Posted
18 hours ago, Fisherman said:

That's not worth the gas to get to work and back.

 

Wow! That's why here in Ontario the gov't has radio ads "Paid for by the gov't of Ontario" selling the idea to go work at a Long Term Care home. Minister of Health also says during interviews "We are training LTC workers". ALL at tax payers expense.

So we all pay to try and convince people to go work at LTCs to 'help' the private profiteers who run them. No way more pay is coming for workers there especially with the economy getting worse.

We also are paying hospitals to train LTC workers and newly hired people by using existing hospital staff (both FT and PT ones) which then means available fill-in shifts are spread more thinly so all Part Timers now only will get 1 or 2 shifts per week at all hours and THIS after them being told to give up working Part Time at LTCs or give up working at hospitals since they aren't allowed to work at both.  Duh they need both jobs to pay bills to survive.

So most choose keeping the way better paying hospital job and NOW their one and only job has hours slashed due to all the people brought in for training.

Training that they have helped do. 

Here's the 'kicker'. The Ontario gov't through the hospitals will screen applicants so will kick out the new hires before 3 months very easily since they aren't union-protected until then and will 'guide' them to go work for LTCs...."OK we have to let you go but here is a card for a local LTC that needs you".  New worker "But their pay is crap!"  Hospital-"Too bad but hey a job is there and with the crummy economy you better go there fast!"

All this is pointing towards gov't not providing more $ for LTC nor hospital workers. It points to gov't lying to people at tax payers expense and screwing front-line hospital staff all to support corporate and hospital administrators greed. 

Gov't is hoping to make LTC cleaning more uniform and better. Idiots. Low pay, no labor protection, no sick days mean absolutely nothing will change long term. Nothing. Oh but gov't will be doing more inspections hoping this will force LTCs to do a better job so LTCs will not pay better but rather hire and fire to keep workers who work more as slaves than as 'respected front line car givers.' All the inspections will be, again, at tax payer expense. But all the improvements will be through paid-off inspectors/worker slaves getting the same crappy pay as before.

 

Old Ironmaker Fishing God

Old Ironmaker

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Fisherman said:

Oh so lets push the union stuff again.  There are companies out there that do quite well without blood sucking unions to skim off the top.

A prime example are the 2 steelmakers in Hamilton. Stelco and Dofasco ArcelorMittal. Since that has zero to do with this thread I will stop there. 

I haven't been on the site for a while as I was fairly ill. About 4 weeks a go started getting a lot of mucus in my chest and a cough then I would get shortness of breath for sometimes 20 minutes. As it got worse I made an appointment to get tested for C-19. I had to answer a series of health related questions on the phone and answered an overview of where I have been and with whom I had come in contact with. I was to immediately start a 14 day quarantine. The health worker asked if my wife who is an essential worker be able to move out of the house until results are in..  Not doable. A few days later I had an appointment to get tested at our local hospital. Went to the drive in test area and 2 nurses came out to the truck, checked my Health Card then stuck a long plastic stick up each of my nostrils until they hit the back of my sinus. Uncomfortable but not extremely painfull. Results in 3 days, negative thankfully. However the individual on the phone told me something I was surprised at. The test is only 70% accurate. That's not good. I had to complete my quarantine. A telephone appointment with my family Doc and some anti biotics faxed to the pharmacy and all is good.  A few times I was somewhat concerned I might be a statistic. Once I was able to go out I was somewhat depressed how some people in our society are ignoring what our scientists and politico's are begging us to do.  I see young children under their parents supervision as well as seniors basically ignoring social distancing, no masks, no social distancing. This past weekend was a scorter and the beaches here along the lake were packed. Cottages had 4 cars or more parked in the driveways and on lawns. I know they all don't live under the same roof. Blow up water toys with swimmers hanging off them were everywhere. Small swim platforms were packed with people shoulder to shoulder. If that continues we may never get out of this thing before we have Covid-20 to deal with.  

  • Like 3
cisco Guide

cisco

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Fisherman said:

Oh so lets push the union stuff again.  There are companies out there that do quite well without blood sucking unions to skim off the top.

Not into unions either man. Just stating facts. 

1. Hospitals told PT workers to either work for them or LTCs but couldn't work at both.

2. Way better pay and so workers chose hospitals over LTCs.

3. LTCs don't pay sick days and pay way less so workers have to work to get income.

4. If a worker doesn't go to work at an LTC they can be laid off/fired/given less shifts or worse jobs afterwards.

These are important reasons outbreaks and death happened at such a high level at LTCs rather than at hospitals.

I didn't use the 'u' word at all so hope that satisfies you. You can now fantasize as to why hospital workers are treated better than ones at LTCs. Maybe by reading the Canadian Constitution/Bill of Rights thingee you will find Canadians have the right to collectively bargain. 

cisco Guide

cisco

Posted
Posted (edited)

Oh and I also bet that all the training of LTC job candidates is being done to have ready replacements standing by in case any LTC worker group decides to press for an in-house union. AND I fully agree with your comment about unions skimming off the top. Same though with LTC corporations Board of Directors/shareholders like Mike Harris that get $$$ doing absolutely nothing except conjuring up more ways to make a larger profit. "Why don't we feed them more pasta and beans! That'll save us money!!" " How about road killed deer and moose?" 

For sure the heads of LTC corps are pressing gov't to help em out rather than dip into their own profit margin. It's working too. Gov't paid employment ads for LTCs.....gov't training of LTC workers....ALL at taxpayer expense. 

Edited by cisco
Old Ironmaker Fishing God

Old Ironmaker

Posted
Posted

Cisco, you sure state many things and well written may I add, I believe that to you they are all facts, some you say is in your opinion and that is good to clarify. But man that still leaves a load of facts to check for there accuracy.  I have an Uncle that has full blown dementia that has been in a long term care facility in Hamilton going on 14 years. We have found the accommodations and the professionalism of staff excellent. So I wouldn't paint every LTC facility with the same brush. 

cisco Guide

cisco

Posted
Posted

My goal is to both vent and inform. My job involves all aspects so info is good to pass along both here and to lobby groups. I am definitely not accusing all as being the same. As private corporations they all have different profit-seeking backers dividing up the profits.  The more the backers the more the profit is carved up like any business.  If owned by an individual vs a family vs a corporation there is less concern for more than profits. Glad your Unc is safe.  

Feel free to address any of my info and show/theorize I am incorrect rather than just cast hollow aspersions. I honestly wish I was wrong and gov't wasn't pumping sunshine up everyone's butt about helping the 'heroes' who have to deal with the virus constantly which is literally in their face. 

Glad you Unc isn't in one where a serious deadly outbreak happened as many have sadly experienced. It's what gets changed to improve future threat that is of concern to many who have relatives in LTCs. You have no worries? Unc not being in one that has been devastated doesn't mean don't worry. You and I may be in one too soon. Then isn't the time to try and fix a 'broken system'. 

 

  • 2 weeks later...
T-Bone Almost a Guide

T-Bone

Posted
Posted

Hundreds of guests on The Maid of the Mist? Not likely...maybe a hundred...likely less than than that. Typical media sensationalism. In all of this I'm still amazed at how the media just continues to twist and blow on the fire to get people jumping...and they still jump. This picture may have been taken when the Hornblower was coming out of dock. Or even last year. It's impossible anymore to read the media and believe it's even close to being true...let alone a source that admittedly credits social media for their content. 

I know one thing that can be certain...IF that picture is true I'd bet the CDN businesses in Niagara Falls that are missing out on the US tourism dollars are hurting badly. I'm aware of outfitters in Canada that are at 10% of 2019 revenue....some less than 10%. How long do you think their business will survive on that? Maybe not even through this year. You may not have the virus, but eventually some won't have anything else either. 

And what value does this media story provide anyway? Only a stroking of Canadians that "we are right, and they are wrong". That serves no one, and solves nothing.  

I love Canada and it's people, but the American bashing as "dirty" and "dumb" about this virus in the CDN media is getting old. And using broad strokes to paint a micro-section of a population is just careless...and even dumber. 

LostAnotherOne Guide

LostAnotherOne

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, misfish said:

I wonder if anyone ever has snuck a long rod on board and cast for steelies in the spring or fall. That would be cool . That would make a great chartering .

Trolling threw there has always been something I've wanted to do.  I see so many birds feeding on bait fish.  There is a launch by where the Maid of the Mist docks.  Will have to be a night launch thou lol.

misfish Imperial Angler

misfish

Posted
Posted (edited)
14 minutes ago, LostAnotherOne said:

Trolling threw there has always been something I've wanted to do.  I see so many birds feeding on bait fish.  There is a launch by where the Maid of the Mist docks.  Will have to be a night launch thou lol.

Ya I watched a video with Mercer and Paul Castellano. They were fishing from the rocks, but they said the access spot has been closed and had to get special permission to fish and film.

 

Edited by misfish
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