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HAMILTON, Ont. — Ontario’s homecare system has been damaged by privatization and is causing thousands of Ontarians to go without care they desperately need.
The compulsory contracting out of homecare services was introduced by a Conservative government, which included current party leader Tim Hudak.
“For those that need and depend on home care in our communities, more has to be done,” says Kelly O’Sullivan, CUPE Ontario Home Care Representative.
“It has been since the late 1990’s that competitive bidding was forced onto us by the Harris Progressive Conservatives. The current government has failed to stop the chaos it creates or to put into place the public not-for-profit home care system that is needed.”
In December 2010, the Annual Report of Ontario’s Auditor General reviewed Ontario’s home care system, finding that home care in Ontario is inequitable, insufficient and ineffectively measured and managed.
The Hamilton area has been particularly vocal about a broken homecare system for some time. In 2008, the community successfully mobilized to force the government to temporarily suspend the destructive compulsory contracting out of home care.
Today’s news conference is part of a province-wide media tour by CUPE Ontario in partnership with the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) to raise awareness about the disastrous competitive bidding model in home care and to garner support for the elimination of this model once and for all.
As the provincial election nears CUPE Ontario calls on Ontarians to support the candidates who will fight for a public not for profit home care system in our province.
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For information, please contact:
Ryan LeClaire, CUPE Communications, 416-992-4094
Kelly O’Sullivan, CUPE Ontario Home Care Representative, 416-529-9600
To view a video produced by CUPE Ontario featuring real life stories from homecare workers, recipients and their families visit:
https://cupe.on.ca/s213/stop-competitive-bidding-homecare
