CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn said Ontario was last among provinces in per-capita health-care funding before the pandemic, which has exacerbated longstanding issues. He also took issue with the government’s use of the word “absenteeism” when discussing health-care and education worker shortages. “Workers aren’t absent. They’re sick,” he said. “It’s the Ford Conservatives who are absent.” Click…
In the wake of the Omicron crisis, the Ford government needs to provide workers with 10 employer-paid sick days in Ontario, according to a group of more than 30 labour organizations. In April, the province implemented the Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Benefit, which required employers to give their staff three paid sick days for infectious…
The Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (OMERS) is one of Canada’s largest pension funds. Serving 289,000 municipal workers employed by cities across Ontario, OMERS has net assets of over $105 billion that are intended to support members in their retirement. This year, however, has seen OMERS swamped by numerous scandals. It is currently in the…
This month, Premier Ford’s Progressive Conservative government made major moves to court workers, seeking to change labour laws with the Working for Workers Act and pledging to raise the minumum wage. But, do Ontario unions actually like what they see, and will this help Ontario’s working class in substantial ways? Also, are we witnessing a…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” famously opens Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The line also perfectly describes the growing income and wealth inequality in Ontario, a tale of two provinces that compels us to finally institute a wealth tax. In the tale of one of the…
The Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario said the legislation missed the chance to stabilize precarious working conditions for staff and expressed doubt that the government could meet its direct care targets. “This new act is a serious disappointment that falls way short of where Ontario should be in improving care and staffing levels in…
Nursing homes breaking the rules would see maximum fines doubled and the worst performers could face temporary takeovers under long-awaited legislation proposed in the wake of a pandemic that saw almost 4,000 vulnerable residents die. The bill, called the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, follows angry and anguished calls from families of loved ones in long-term…
“It’s like the antithesis of what working for workers would be,” says Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. He goes on to add “it doesn’t say there’s going to be a law; it doesn’t say it’ll be equally applied for all workers; it doesn’t say that it’s actually going to be mandated!” … Hahn says…
As nursing homes prepare for the end of pandemic emergency orders, operators want a permanent role for new, low-paid workers. But advocates like CUPE Ontario’s Candace Rennick question the use of inexperienced staff with vulnerable residents, saying it is a “very sad policy choice.” Called “resident support assistants,” the entry-level job was approved by a…
The line item, the FAO notes, which covers “funding to support the implementation of public health protocols in schools” received $702 million in 2020-21. This year, the province is budgeting $569 million in 2021-22,. That’s a reduction of about $133 million. At the same time, according to the report, local school boards have spent $391…
