New poll shows nearly seven in ten Torontonians want investment in public hospitals instead of private, for-profit clinics

Only 2.5 per cent of Toronto residents think the government should prioritize private clinics over public hospitals TORONTO – A new poll shows 69 per cent of people in Toronto want the provincial government to prioritize spending on public hospitals rather than private clinics. The Nanos poll was conducted between May 27 and June 1,…

Hospital workers and community allies protest PSW cuts at Guelph General Hospital, call on Ford government to address funding shortfall

Guelph, ON – The decision to lay off 39 personal support workers at Guelph General Hospital is a grave mistake that will badly hurt workplace morale and harm the quality of patient care, said CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE). Guelph General staff and community allies held a rally on Monday morning in response…

Hospital workers protest staff cuts and patient harm caused by Ford government’s underfunding

Burlington, ON – CUPE health care workers at Joseph Brant Hospital held a demonstration today protesting job cuts that pose serious risks to patient care and expose the government’s policy of underfunding hospitals. The hospital is eliminating 10 frontline positions: seven housekeepers, an operating room assistant, and an occupational therapist- all vital to patient care.…

Planned staffing review at Hamilton Health Sciences will lead to cuts, warns CUPE, as hospital deficit mounts due to government underfunding

The Ford government has committed to covering only a fraction of hospital’s operating costs Hamilton, ON – The union representing about 4,750 staff at Hamilton Health Sciences is alarmed about the hospital’s staffing review in light of a $112 million projected deficit for 2024. The provincial government’s lack of commitment to covering full operating costs…

“This is why we are retiring in poverty:” Health care workers slam SickKids for choosing not to pay into pension plan for 26th year

Toronto, ON – Health-care workers at SickKids Hospital in Toronto are outraged by their employer’s recent announcement that it will continue its “pension holiday” rather than improve retirement benefits for its staff. Last week, SickKids announced that it will not be paying into the staff pension plan for yet another year – it has only…

Giant Trojan Horse visits Queen’s Park as OCHU-CUPE and Ontario Health Coalition protest privatization of hospital services

In response to the government’s plan to issue new licenses to for-profit clinics this fall, OCHU and OHC are demanding that money be invested in public hospitals instead TORONTO – Symbolizing the threat of the plan to privatize hospital surgeries, a 15-foot replica of the Trojan Horse visited legislators at Queen’s Park today. The metaphor…

No respite for Ontario patients: new report says five times more hospital beds needed than planned by Ford government

New analysis shows province faces a 13,800 shortfall of hospital beds by 2032 Ontario’s hospital capacity crisis will worsen in the coming years as government funding will fall short of even maintaining current levels of service, according to a new research report produced by CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE). Citing latest data on…

CMAJ study showing lower income people have less access to for-profit cataract surgeries must force a reconsideration of policy, says hospital union

TORONTO – In response to new research showing that wealthy Ontarians are disproportionately benefiting from for-profit clinics, CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions is demanding the province halt public funding for private surgeries and invest in cataracts provided by public hospitals. A study by the Canadian Medical Associations Journal released yesterday says that surgical rates…

“Premier’s callous response to hospital crisis stark contrast to the suffering of patients and staff:” says OCHU/CUPE at launch of new peer-reviewed study heralding warning for Ontario

TORONTO – The Premier’s recent comments in the media shows “a callous attitude” towards the hospital crisis, where overcrowding has increased by 30 percent since 2018, said Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE), referring to Doug Ford’s gaffe about overflow patients having the option of receiving treatment at a new…