Hospital staff rally against Ford’s privatization plan in Hamilton, call on government to invest in public health care.

HAMILTON, ON – A large group of hospital staff including nurses, personal support workers and lab technologists rallied today at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton against the Ford government’s plan to contract out hospital services to private, for-profit clinics. In response to Bill 60, the recently passed legislation that farms out surgeries and diagnostic procedures…

Several thousand Ottawa-based registered practical nurses considering leaving because of understaffing and low pay; new poll finds

OTTAWA, ON – A staggering number of Ottawa registered practical nurses (RPNs) may leave their jobs based on poll findings showing that more than 60% surveyed are considering quitting, driven out of health care by understaffing and low wages. In Ottawa that could mean that over 1200 RPNs currently working at the six city hospitals…

Poll finds more than 60% of registered practical nurses are being driven out of health care by understaffing and low pay, putting patient care at risk

TORONTO, ON – With a recent poll showing that Ontario is at-risk of losing more than 60% of its registered practical nurses (RPNs) workforce, RPNs made an emotional appeal to the Doug Ford government to step up investments in wages and improved working conditions to stop thousands more from leaving nursing. The poll, conducted by…

Ontario Health Coalition Workplace Referendum Toolkit

Click Here to download: Workplace Referendum Backgrounder to Privatization Click Here to download: Workplace Referendum Cheat Sheet Click Here to download: Workplace Referendum Instructions for Volunteers Click Here to download: Workplace Referendum Letter to Employer Sample Click Here to download: Workplace Referendum OHC Timeline Click Here to download: Workplace Referendum Planning Tool Click Here to…

Frontline Toronto youth mental health workers vote 100% in favour of strike action if a fair deal can’t be reached

TORONTO – Workers at YouthLink, a mental health agency that helps roughly 3,000 Torontonians aged 12 to 24 each year, are unanimous in their belief that youth in crisis need consistent care provided by fairly paid workers. YouthLink’s clinical counsellors, child and youth workers, residential counsellors, outreach workers, shelter workers, student development workers and administrative…

Federal healthcare funds must be invested in paramedics and the broader public healthcare system: CUPE Paramedics

TORONTO, ON – The $74 billion ten-year healthcare deal between the Ontario and the federal government is a positive step but the funds must be immediately used to improve paramedic services and bolster the public health care system, says Niko Georgiadis, the chair of the CUPE Ontario Ambulance Committee that represents the majority of paramedics…

Legislation expanding private surgeries and procedures will harm Ontario patients, cost more, bleed staff away from public hospitals and leave them with the most complex cases: CUPE

TORONTO, ON – Ontario PC government legislation tabled today that will expand private and for-profit surgeries and procedures isn’t smart spending but costly policy that will increase costs, waits and death rates, lower patient outcomes and bleed scarce staff from public hospitals, says Michael Hurley president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions.  “Throwing huge…

OPEN LETTER RE: Ontario’s Health System at Risk

                                                 The Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau                                                                                January 24, 2023 The Honourable Chrystia Freeland House of Commons, Canada OPEN LETTER RE: Ontario’s Health System at Risk  Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Deputy Prime…