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OTTAWA, Ont. — The dismal state of homecare in Ottawa and across Ontario is heating up as an issue for the October 6 provincial election, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario.
Advocates for quality, non-profit homecare will hold a media conference on Wednesday to call on all political parties to scrap the “competitive bidding” model – a model the former Progressive Conservative government introduced and which the Liberal government has continued to support.
WHAT: Media conference about the effects of for-profit homecare
Includes a screening of a short CUPE-made documentary, “Who Cares?”
WHO: Fred Hahn, President, CUPE Ontario
Xolisiwe (Connie) Ndlovu, Personal Support Worker
Marlene Rivier, Ontario Health Coalition
WHEN: Wednesday, August 17 at 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Ottawa Labour Council, Suite 500, 280 Metcalfe St, Ottawa
Contracting-out of homecare services is mandatory under Ontario’s “competitive bidding” model, introduced in the mid-1990s by the Progressive Conservative Government (which included current party leader, Tim Hudak). This move shifted homecare from mostly not-for-profit provision to a primarily for-profit service, with public dollars siphoned off to private profit and a steep drop in quality of care.
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For information, please contact:
David Robbins, CUPE Communications, 613-878-1431
View a video featuring real-life stories from home care workers, recipients and their families : https://cupe.on.ca/s213/stop-competitive-bidding-homecare
