PTSD bill victim of 'crass partisanship,' unions charge
'It's clear this sluggishness is deliberate'
Unions and opposition MLAs on P.E.I. held a joint news conference Tuesday morning to demand the immediate proclamation of a bill that would include PTSD coverage under the Workers Compensation Act.
The private member's bill from PC MLA Jamie Fox was passed in the house and received royal assent in December, but Premier Wade MacLauchlan added an amendment allowing cabinet to set a date for the law to come into effect.
And cabinet has not done that yet.
"After four months, it's clear this sluggishness is deliberate. This standstill is unacceptable. We demand Premier MacLauchlan act now," said CUPE P.E.I. president Leonard Crawford in a news release.
Last month the government introduced its own bill, and that sends a bad message to workers, said CUPE Local 3324 president Jason Woodbury.
"It means injured workers are less of a priority for this government than crass partisanship," said Woodbury.
Changes can be made later, says Fox
The government bill expands coverage to include other stress-related illnesses, but removes the ability of physicians to diagnose, allowing only psychologists or psychiatrists to do that. CUPE is concerned the shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists will make diagnosing a significant barrier.
The unions — including CUPE, P.E.I. Nurses Union, and P.E.I. Federation of Labour — along with the opposition MLAs and the P.E.I. Health Coalition, want Fox's bill proclaimed immediately. Fox has suggested the government can then make changes as necessary.
He noted four months have already passed where the service was not available for Islanders.