Compassionate, skilled Civic hospital staffer wins award Presentation today May 19, Personal Support Worker Day

Toronto, Ont. ─ Brampton Civic Hospital personal support worker Carolynne Haynes has been awarded Personal Support Worker of the Year by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU)/CUPE. A ceremony to present Carolynne with her award is scheduled for Personal Support Worker Day, Thursday, May 19 (2016) at 2 p.m. the Brampton Civic Hospital, North…

Greater diversification of nursing team, not less, will lead to better patient outcomes

TORONTO, Ont. — Fewer deaths, increased patient satisfaction, fewer falls, fewer bed sores, shorter lengths of stay are all documented benefits of a diversified nursing team observed in recent studies. “Ignoring this research on positive patient outcomes, to promote a single occupation as was recently done by Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) offends the…

Not too late for Pembroke hospital to get out of risky deal with contractor

PEMBROKE, Ont. — Hidden costs, increasing compensation, legal disputes are “the norm when contracted services go awry,” said Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) president Michael Hurley at a Pembroke media conference today that outlined the risky business of outsourcing. The Pembroke Regional Hospital has contracted-out the sterilization of surgical equipment to a Greater Toronto…

$100 million cut at Ottawa Hospital alone since 2012, but Liberals bring all Ottawa hospitals just $19 million. Another cut, masquerading as an increase — union charges

OTTAWA, ON — The announcement Friday of $19 million in funding for Ottawa hospitals actually represents a 3 per cent cut in their real funding needs and it follows over $100 million in cuts at these hospitals since 2012 – a union representing staff at the hospitals said today. “Beds, services and staff have all…

Violent assaults with injuries again at North Bay hospital and across Ontario as government continues to cut staff

TORONTO, ON – In the last week at North Bay Regional Health Centre, there have been two separate violent assaults against staff resulting in critical injury. North Bay hospital employees are vulnerable to violent assault a recent poll by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), found. …

Alerting Ontario Ombudsman to seeming “complicit secrecy” of municipalities in Cassellholme privatization, may have to be next step: CUPE

NORTH BAY, ON – There’s the role of a secretive sub-committee that reports back to municipal councils. A hushed consultant’s report filled with financial costings and projections of millions of dollars to buy out yearly contributions to Cassellholme that the mayors and councillors know the content of, but aren’t sharing with the public. There’s a…

Mayors and councillors know far more than they say they know about Cassellholme privatization

NORTH BAY, ON – Documents obtained by the Canadian of Union of Public Employees (CUPE) through freedom of information (FOI) requests show Nipissing area mayors and councillors are privy to much more information about making Cassellholme a private nursing home, than they’ve shared with home’s residents, their families and the local community. CUPE filed the…