TORONTO – Prevention is better than cure and community-based mental health supports are meant to help before families break down. Workers at Yorktown Family Services – members of the Toronto Civic Employees’ Union, CUPE Local 416 voted unanimously in favour of a strike vote yesterday. This vote by workers at Yorktown Family Services reveals a…
TORONTO – A week after a new survey revealed the number of child protection agencies warehousing children and youth in unsafe, unlicensed homes across the province, the Ontario New Democratic Party (ONDP) offered a legislative solution. The Conservatives rejected it. Bill 188, branded the Supporting Children’s Futures Act, contained updates to the Child, Youth, and…
St. Catharines, ON – There’s a little-known secret among organizations that support adults with developmental disabilities: not all clients are the same and agencies routinely shop their most challenging clients around. Bethesda Community Services is known in the sector for taking the absolute hardest cases. Staff are routinely abused and harassed. Yet they have some…
TORONTO – CUPE Paramedics met with MPPs at Queen’s Park today to bring attention to the ongoing underfunding of emergency medical services in Ontario. “Shortages of ambulances and staff, lack of hospital capacity, and heavy workloads are all things our members face on a daily basis, and underfunding from the provincial government is continuing to…
Union protests hospital’s plan to contract out cleaning, portering, waste management, and laundry services TORONTO – Back in 2006, an outbreak of superbug C. difficile at a Sault Ste. Marie Hospital killed 10 patients directly and another 8 indirectly. The hospital, which had privatized housekeeping services, was forced to increase cleaning staff by 40 per…
TORONTO – The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) blasted the government’s plan to further privatize the delivery of MRIs and CT scans through for-profit clinics, and announced a series of rallies at Ontario PC MPP offices by union members and community allies across the province for this summer. “The Ontario PCs are funnelling more…
PETERBOROUGH, ON – When young people in Peterborough and Northumberland County are in crisis, they turn to Kinark Child and Family Services. Lately, they haven’t ended up in treatment but on growing waitlists with little prospect of getting help. That issue, along with high staff turnover and increasing burnout, was highlighted today for the Board…
TORONTO – On the second day of CUPE Ontario’s sixtieth convention, delegates from across Ontario re-elected incumbent president Fred Hahn and incumbent secretary-treasurer Yolanda McClean each to two-year terms of offices. “I’m grateful to CUPE Ontario members who have once again put their faith and trust in me and elected me as their president for another…
SPRINGWATER, ON – Library workers in the Springwater Public Library system have voted unanimously to become the newest members of CUPE after a successful organizing drive. The three branches in Elmvale, Midhurst, and Minesing, Ontario will be joining CUPE Local 2380. “With an uncertain landscape combined with a lack of support from stakeholders, staff voted…
BLACK RIVER – MATHESON, ON – Members of CUPE Local 1490 have voted in favour of an agreement with the town of Black River-Matheson, bringing an end to a bitter, months-long dispute that began in October with the lockout of 14 members and eventually led to a strike after members rejected a forced offer which…
