Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I actually just want to make a quick comment, that he actually did ask us to be nice.
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about fairness, equity, and respect. Mr. Speaker, I have received numerous emails and calls on this topic from health workers in Hay River. Those emails paint a picture of dwindling morale as these workers hear that their counterparts within the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority have received a labour market supplement while there was no provision made for those within the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.
Mr. Speaker, health workers in Hay River have provided exceptional service to all residents over the years and even more so during the last two and half years as they dealt with the pandemic, flood, and staff shortages. The stress associated with this is only now being realized by many of those health workers. To add to that stress, they now hear that there may be no wage supplement for them. In their own words, they are feeling disrespected, undervalued, and underpaid. The many hours and shifts required, the time away from family, staff shortages, and their commitment to providing timely medical care and services to residents must be recognized, and this recognition comes in the form of fairness and compensation.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT recognized that in exceptional circumstances there is a need to address labour retention and shortages by quickly adjusting compensation packages. This recognition resulted in establishing the Labour Market Supplement Policy, a policy that only exists within this government and is not part of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.
Mr. Speaker, as with many contracts, if there is an agreement between the parties, there is then a path to move forward to resolve an issue. In this instance, with agreement from the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, the union, and the GNWT, a memorandum of agreement could be pursued that would provide a market supplement to Hay River Health and Social Services Authority employees.
Mr. Speaker, the supplement I talked about has been quantified. We know it will now be paid to a number of Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority employees. Precedence has been set. So let us extend it to employees of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. As we are in this together, let us provide fair and equal treatment when it comes to the labour market supplement for all healthcare workers. Thank you