Doug Ford would face massive labour unrest in the hospitals if staff didn’t put patients’ interests ahead of their own as negotiations for 70,000 on the front-lines derail over PC Bill 124 wage cut, lack of protections

Bill 124, COVID-19, Governmental, Health Care

TORONTO, ON – Hospital staff are angered and stunned by how the Ontario government and the hospital employers are treating them following two years of pandemic sacrifice as provincial bargaining broke down May 14, says the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) the hospital division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in Ontario.…

This budget is an election ploy: CUPE Ontario responds to underwhelming budget announcement

COVID-19, Governmental, Health Care, Solidarity

TORONTO, ON – Ontarians shouldn’t buy this spin from a government that’s trying to buy an election, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. “Ontarians have long been desperate for real action that would bolster the public services they rely on but today we got nothing more than misleading spending promises that aren’t…

Who will staff new Vaughan long-term care beds?

COVID-19, Governmental, Health Care, Solidarity

VAUGHAN, ON – A severe, provincewide staffing shortage will prevent many of the Ford government’s promised new long-term care beds, including those announced today in Vaughan, from opening, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the province’s largest healthcare union. “Minister Calandra can make all the announcements he wants, but if there’s no…

North Bay hospital must answer for low morale, cutting positions, huge overtime costs, record grievances

COVID-19, Health Care, Solidarity

NORTH BAY, ON – With Ontario hospitals dealing with record staffing shortages and now a pandemic sixth COVID-19 wave, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is raising serious concerns about North Bay Regional Health Centre’s (NBRHC) conflictual and costly approach to staffing stability and labour relations. In 2022 alone the hospital has cut 4%…

Front-line workers deserve permanent wage increases, not more spin: CUPE Ontario calls Bill 106 a crass political ploy before an election

Governmental, Health Care, Social Services, Solidarity

TORONTO, ON – Don’t be fooled by the Ford Conservatives’ saying they’re increasing wages for personal support workers, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. “Imagine the excitement that burnt out, underpaid, and incredibly vulnerable personal support workers in health care and developmental services felt when they saw headlines saying the Ford Conservatives…

As part of ongoing efforts to bargain better outcomes for patient care and hospital staff, health care unions launch television ads aimed at the OHA

Health Care, Solidarity

TORONTO, ON – Three unions negotiating with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) to resolve the ongoing hospital staffing crisis, job safety concerns and pandemic-related mental health supports, today launched a province-wide television advertising blitz to fix the mess and save hospital care in Ontario. CUPE, SEIU Healthcare, and Unifor, representing 95,000 registered practical nurses, personal…

Big support for nurses, ward clerks and other hospital staff, Toronto/GTA poll shows. So why, just weeks from an election, are the Ford PCs offside in their treatment of hospital workers?

COVID-19, Governmental, Health Care

TORONTO, ON – Hospital staff are feeling demoralized, battle fatigued and burnt out following more than two years of pandemic-related workloads. But a new poll released today, shows that even though most hospital nurses, clerical staff, cleaners, paramedical and maintenance staff feel the Doug Ford PC government has turned its back on them by cutting…

Ford government nurses’ retention pay missteps and PSW wage increases mishandling compound discontent among health sector’s front-lines asking for Bill 124 to be scrapped

COVID-19, Governmental, Health Care

PETERBOROUGH, ON – The Doug Ford government’s mishandling of PSW wage increases and nursing pay issues while suppressing the right to bargain wages was the focus of a protest at the office of MPP Dave Smith, today by Peterborough and Lindsay area front-line hospital and long-term care staff. There is consensus across health care’s front-line…