Thank you for saying that. We lost a lot of support workers across our nation due to COVID-19. Those workers stepped up to the plate when everyone else stepped back. Thank you for that recognition.
In terms of unionized workplaces, I know that most long-term care facilities across our nation are unionized. It's just the way it rocks and rolls for them in that area. We find it's good but it's also not good. Work needs to be done there as well. If you have a unionized workplace, you have seniority, and the issue with unionized workplaces is the list of seniorities.
For instance, you are a personal support worker who is working in long-term care and you're only part-time casual. You work all the hours they want you to work. You go in all the time. A line finally comes up that you can get a full-time position. But someone who's been there for nine years ahead of you who wants this position, who never takes call-ins, always just works their hours and goes home and never does the extra will get that full-time position. The person with nine years will get a full-time position over the PSW who puts her heart and soul into it.
Seniority has come up as an issue with unionization. But I will say that unionization gives the workers a voice. It gives them that protection, especially against management or administration in long-term care homes where there seems to be a lot of butting heads, shall I say, where management likes to bully the front-line staff. That is an issue. That's where unions do step in. They are excellent for the workers.