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WIIITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1985, PAGE3 But JVPH officiais say its therapy, flot work.... Pati'ents want raise m workshop pay By JAN DODGE Free Press Staff Virtually 100 per cent of the workers in worksbop and bospital services at Whitby Psychiatrlc bave petitioned for a raise. On July 3, a petition witb 128 signatures was sent to William Hogle, the assistant hospital adminstrator of clinical services requesting a 25t per bour increase in the incentive allowance. Terry, representing Workshops One to Four; Ken, representing Worksbop Seven; and Charlie, representing Hospital Services also sent a copy of the petition plus a letter ex- plaining their position to the Minister of Health, Murray Elston. (I bave used first names only, to allow these men some .anonymity in the coin- munity. In their letter to the Minister of Health they signed their full namnes.) Tbey cited, in the petition, several reasons for wanting an increase. There bas been an increase, since the last federal budget, in the cost of candy and cigarettes. They said they work bard, and do not realize the profits from their work, although tbey believe there are profits mnade and tbey think more money would provide greater incentive. Tbey also said tbat some of the staff are in agreement witb their position. According to Hogle, there are 123 people working in workshop and hospital services. "The remainder of the probably staff," said Karen Walker, a gover- nmnent appointed patient advocate. "I know there were sorne instructors in the workshop who signed and at least one social worker." Hogle said, "The pay scale is now in the process of being up- dated. The original range was from 25t to 75t per hour. In May we raised the bottom end to 30< and the top is under discussion. It will possibly go to 80 or 85t. We will bave a decision by the end of tbe mon- He said the 25t in- crease was unlikely because Wbitby bad to be consistent witb other bospitals across the province. Ken said people in Workshop Seven receive a minimum of 30t per bour and a maximum of 70t per bour. (Ken, an out-patient who works fuil-time at the hospital bas just bad his pay in- creased from 40 to 50< per bour.) For this tbey do factory-type work such as assembling and packaging to fulfill a contract. Sometimes, he said, it is quite dernanding. Sometimes it is very repetitive and working conditions are not ideal. "In summer, it's very bot and there's no air conditioning." The workers are required to dlock in. Work starts at 8 a.m. and continues to 4 p.m. witb a one-bour break for lunch and a 20- minute break in the morning and afternoon. Charlie, who works witb hospital services, does cleaning and bousekeeping. He is paid 60< an hour. He bas been an in-patient but is in a transitional stage and is currently living at home. He comes to the hospital to work haîf days. When it cornes to asking for an increase in pay, even witbin the alIowable limit, Charlie said, "A lot of patients can't speak up for tbem- selves. .. Tbey ask for a raise. They're told it's tbe budget. They accept that. "A lot of patients work really bard. They stick to their jobs and they feel degraded. We feel we're working bere because we bave to. " How is it that these workers do not get minimum wage? "If it were an em- ployment situation we would certainly pay these people the minimum wage," Hogle said, "but this is ac- tually part of a work rehabilit.ation program wbereby the participan- ts can get training and counselling in work relationships, in pun- ctuality, in proper dress, and can be ex- posed to the same kind of conditions that tbey would in the regular work place. "The focus is on rehabilitative training." While the workers tbink of this as their pay, the administration r refers to it as an incen- tive allowance. Referring to the 25t raise the patients are asking Hogle said, "The whole purpose of the workshops is to get these people back into the community. We don't want to make it too attractive in the system. We want them to go out- side to find work. If we raise the allowance it rnay affect other programs, such as family benefits," Hogle said. Ken gets farnily benefits. At the end of each rnonth he gets $419, out of wbieh $361 goes toward bis lodging, and he retains $58. He said that earning more would be better for peoples' hopes, even if it did cut into what they received in benefits. There is sorne suspicion about the staff evaluations which determine what the patient is paid. Ken said, "When 1 was working in Workshop Seven before, sore ole were being * ei OA . PN - siur an Te paid over the maximum. Some people witb the same capabilit:is as me are gettingpaid lower tban I arn. 1 don't tbink tbat's right." Hogle said be boped to check into complaints of uneven apportioming of pay and to develop more equitable criteria for determining tbe amount paid, if necessary. "It was the bigb prices at the canteen that started ail this," Ken said. "Cigarettes went up and chocolate bars went up. Some say you sbould stop smoking, but some can't, " Charlie said. 661 made the suggestion tbey cut can- teen prices down. Tbey said then visitors would get tbe discount too. 1 suggested tbey open a separate canteen. Tbey said tbey couldn't do that. "I had a meeting witb Mrs. McFarland (Nina McFarland is director of vocational and recreational services> and she said the proceeds were being used for supplies for patients, like work boots," Charlie said. Hogle said, "Tbe profits from tbe canteen go back into patient- care items sucb as cbesterfields in lounges and ward chairs. "Tbe prices at the canteen are con- siderably less than downtown. A pack of 25 cigarettes seil for $2.43 in the canteen (one downtown price is $260.) Pop souls for $32t, wbile downtown it selîs for 50to 60t" . Ail profits arising from the workshop programs go back into the provincial treasury. "Therefore," the tbree patient representatives state in their letter to the Minister of Healtb, '.we tbink tbat there sbould be money HAPPY 10THI ANNIVERSARY! TORONTO DOMINION BANK antio(uflce'. ils 1i<)tti nrnui,'crsarv al I)iundnis and I"rance#s Sis.. in 10l"'bv. AU cr<,slnners an<1riend% ir(, in,'iied lu îdrop bv lring Iun'iee re ofug. Oth lu Qu'. i <8.3frr rfresh n'n ifs and <En i r<rsntrNýc'k tTORONTO DOMINION BANK 601 DUNDAS WEST (Whitby Towne Ptaza) 668-3336 < <«i..'./a/4 /uJ/u'eJ /i $ earCPJJf/J incentive allowance. " Walker was unwilling to express an opinion on the patients' petition. She said she assumed the position of patient advocate only last April and the issue is com- plex. "My role is to emn- power the patients. Tbey are one of the least heard groups in our society and tbey have presented tbeir concer- ns well to the ad- mninistration. They have done a good job of trying to get others to 1 isten. " Walker's predecessor, Catherine Burns, however, was reported by Dorothy Lipovenko in June 8, 1984 in the said that the wages patients receive in workshops amount to exploitation. Walker said many outpatients return to the hospital to work at the workshop which shows there is a need for a community based worksbop. "Ever since we sent in this petitica everybody's been asking us, 'Have you beard yet?' Tbey can't wait for a decision," Charlie said. Hogle said be hoped to complete answers to the petition and to report back to the patients througb their advocate by the end of tbe montb. ...AND MUCH MORE... 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