Health care workers rally at Queen’s Park drive-by action: No more temporary fixes, tomorrow’s Ontario budget must include respect, protection and pay for dedicated front-line staff

TORONTO, ON – Ahead of tomorrow’s budget in Ontario, hospital, and long-term care workers, who have borne the worst of pandemic risks in the last year, surrounded Queen’s Park in a drive-by action with a clear message for Premier Doug Ford and his finance minister: Respect Us. Protect Us. Pay Us. After a year of…

Peterborough, Durham Region communities urged to back call for human rights inquiry into years of systemic ageism in health policies that contributed to LTC COVID-19 deaths

Peterborough/Durham, ON – Advocates asking the Human Rights Commission for a ground-breaking probe into years of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health system are urging Peterborough, Oshawa and central east area residents to get behind their call for a public inquiry. The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) the hospital division…

Sault Ste. Marie community urged to back call for Ontario human rights inquiry into years of systemic ageism in health policies that contributed to LTC COVID-19 deaths

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – Advocates asking the Human Rights Commission for a ground-breaking probe into years of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health system are urging Sault Ste. Marie residents to get behind their call for an inquiry. The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) the hospital division of the…

Years of systemic ageism in health policies contributed to long-term care residents dying of COVID-19; Ontario human rights inquiry needed

SUDBURY, ON – Years of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health system that treats the elderly as though their right to care is lesser than others contributed to nearly 4,000 long-term care residents dying from COVID-19 in the last year across the province, say advocates asking the Human Rights Commission for a ground-breaking probe. The Ontario…

Years of systemic ageism in health policies contributed to more than 280 Ottawa long-term care residents dying of COVID-19; Ontario human rights inquiry needed

OTTAWA, ON – Years of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health system that treats the elderly as though their right to care is lesser than others contributed to more than 280 Ottawa long-term care residents dying from COVID-19 in the last year, say advocates who yesterday asked the Human Rights Commission for a ground-breaking probe. The…

Advocates call for landmark Ontario Human Rights Commission inquiry into discrimination and denial of needed health care for the elderly

TORONTO, ON – Ontario’s Human Rights Commission today is being urged to undertake what could be a landmark systemic public inquiry into age discrimination in the provision of health care in the province. In their letter (http://bit.ly/OHRC-letter-210316) to the Commission, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Advocacy…

More Mt. Sinai clerical workers join CUPE

TORONTO, ON – Part-time clerical workers at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto have voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Canada’s largest health care union. The ballot count was delayed for more than three months by technical objections from the group’s former bargaining agent, NOWU. Finally, on March 15, the Ontario Labour Relations Board…

Car Cavalcade for the Women Workers of Hillcrest

Personal support workers (PSWs) at the Hillcrest site of the University Health Network (UHN) are paid $16.83 an hour or less, have 3 paid sick days a year, and are overwhelmingly women and racialized. This reactivation hospital takes patients from the wider UHN, where PSWs enjoy better pay and benefits. The Ontario Council of Hospital…

HEALTHCARE WORKERS LAUNCH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY ACTIONS WITH MESSAGE TO PREMIER FORD: “Respect Us. Protect Us. Pay Us.”

Unions representing 175,000 workers serving on the frontlines of this pandemic demand the Ford government support this female majority workforce TORONTO, ON – Today, SEIU Healthcare, Unifor, and CUPE, unions representing 175,000 healthcare workers across Ontario, held a virtual media conference to announce the launch of International Women’s Day actions with a clear message to…

6,000 new PSWs, “tip of what’s needed, gravity of shortage requires Ontario double number to tackle long-term care staffing crisis,” say health care unions

TORONTO, ON – Long-term care staffing in Ontario remains far below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. The gravity of the staffing shortage requires a substantive and comprehensive recruitment, training and retention workforce strategy, say health care unions representing approximately 70,000 personal support workers (PSWs). Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction from what was announced…