Mt. Sinai clerical staff vote to join CUPE

TORONTO, ON – Full-time clerical workers at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto have voted to join Canada’s largest healthcare union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The ballot count was delayed for more than three months by technical objections from the group’s former bargaining agent, NOWU. Finally, on February 8, the Ontario Labour Relations…

Ontario proudly invests in an “airborne COVID-19 detector” but is still denying the virus is airborne; How can this be?

TORONTO, ON. – Today the Ontario government took a giant step in acknowledging that COVID-19 is an airborne virus by announcing they are investing in an “airborne COVID-19 detector”, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees. CEM Specialties Inc. (CEMSI)  will get $2 million through the Ontario Together Fund to help commercialize and accelerate production…

Rise in health care worker infections to more than 16,000 in last 3 months signals calamity; decisive action on airborne transmission needed

TORONTO, ON. – Even before the new COVID-19 variants hit Ontario, health care worker infections were dangerously high, doubling in the last three months to over 16,000, the Ontario government’s own data shows. In 2020 for the first 10 months of the pandemic to October 23, 7,488 health care staff contracted COVID-19 at work. In…

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Enquiries

Last night, CUPE Ontario held a Town Hall Call on the COVID-19 vaccine. Guest Panelist and infectious disease expert Dr. Tara Moriarty from the University of Toronto noted the following: 1)      If you’re a Canadian who would like to ATTEND our nightly Zoom sessions about COVID-19 vaccine safety, please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrp0-GkyZS1Oe4cu4T7F6t1xdumCr9HmWo5dUwAYaRaw0AWw/viewform 2)      If you’d like to request a special…

$1 million payout for vacationing hospital boss but no paid sick days for staff facing COVID “profoundly unfair and disrespectful”

TORONTO, ON – By not announcing paid sick days for all hospital, long-term care and other essential workers, Ontario’s Premier missed a key opportunity this week to tell “this important workforce – who are at greater risk of COVID-19 infection – that the province has their back for the increased risk they face,” says Michael…

With COVID outbreaks in Hamilton surging, hospital unions urge Ford government to immediately vaccinate at local care homes

HAMILTON, ON – With a flurry of new COVID-19 outbreaks in Hamilton hospitals, long-term care, and retirement homes this weekend – bringing the total to 36 outbreaks locally – today area hospital union leaders urged the province to include the region as a vaccination priority area. All residents, health care workers and essential caregivers at…