PC health overhaul legislation explicit power to privatize services must be removed, says CUPE

TORONTO, ON – Despite assurances from the PC government that they will not use new health restructuring legislation to privatize services, “key sections of Bill 74 are designed to do just that,” warns Michael Hurley, the president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE (OCHU). One of those sections explicitly removes reference to keeping hospital…

PC’s attack on health system threatens patient care: Ontario health care workers begin vigorous response

TORONTO, ON – Calling PC government legislation introduced today, “a serious threat to patient care,” the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE (OCHU) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE Ontario), representing 80,000 hospital, long-term care and home and community care staff, will begin escalating actions province-wide to push the government to reconsider its “radical…

PSWs, RPNs at Peel’s lauded dementia care pilot say understaffing is leaving them physically and mentally exhausted

MISSISSAUGA, ON – With Peel Region expanding its “Butterfly” dementia care project to two more long-term care homes, direct care staff working on the Malton Village pilot site are speaking out publicly for the first time about the challenges they’ve faced to make the experiment a success.   “There is widespread commitment among care staff…

PSWs, RPNs at Peel’s lauded dementia care pilot say understaffing is leaving them physically and mentally exhausted

MISSISSAUGA, ON – With Peel Region expanding its “Butterfly” dementia care project to two more long-term care homes, direct care staff working on the Malton Village pilot site are speaking out publicly for the first time about the challenges they’ve faced to make the experiment a success.   “There is widespread commitment among care staff…

“Help us,” urge staff with no pension and low wages at teachers’ pension plan owned Hamilton care home

HAMILTON, ON – Direct care staff with no pension and low wages employed at Amica Dundas, a Hamilton-area care home owned by the powerful Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) have taken the unprecedented step of appealing to the teachers’ fund board to help them achieve better working conditions.   Responsible investing principles, such as social and…

Office and Clerical workers at Markham Stouffville Hospital vote to unionize

MARKHAM, ON – Office and Clerical workers at Markham Stouffville Hospital have joined the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) after a certification vote held Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 257-person unit consists of hospital Receptionists, Secretaries, Clerks, Transcriptionists, Coders and various Clerical positions. Organizer Deb Oldfield was happy to welcome the group into CUPE. “Our health care…