Health Care

Unifor demands Ministry action on women's shelter employer’s failure to negotiate

NAPANEE – Unifor recently wrote to Minister Fullerton to alert the province of a Napanee employer’s failure to negotiate with striking women’s shelter workers.

“This employer, the Lennox and Addington Interval House, seems to be delaying negotiations on purpose, instead of responding to earnest and reasonable proposals from these dedicated workers,” said Katha Fortier, Unifor Assistant to the National President.

Letter to Minister Fullerton on the strike at Lennox Addington Interval House

The Honourable Minister Merrilee Fullerton, MPP, MD
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
@email       

Dear Minister,

Re: Lennox Addington Interval House

I write to you on behalf of the twenty (20) women who work at the Lennox Addington Interval House in Napanee, Ontario, who have been on strike since October 29, 2021.

Healthcare Unions: Doug Ford’s Ad Hoc Gestures Won’t Fix The Worsening Health Human Resource Crisis

Unions representing 220,000 workers demand the repeal of Bill 124 and a real plan to fix the worsening health human resource crisis in Ontario

TORONTO, ON – Today, SEIU Healthcare, OCHU/CUPE, Unifor, and Ontario Nurses’ Association, unions representing 220,000 healthcare workers across Ontario, including 85,000 nurses, issued an open letter to Premier Ford to fix the worsening health human resource crisis in Ontario and move past the band aid pay-as-you-vote gimmicks.

Letter to Premier Ford regarding nursing retention bonus

Dear Premier Ford,

On behalf of 220,000 union members in the health care system, and more than 18,000 nursing students, we are once again cautioning you against further demoralizing the workforce by providing one-time payments to some, but not all, health care workers. While retaining nurses is vitally important, there are shortages in many health care occupations and professions, and it is appropriate to extend any retention bonus to all health care workers.

Health care workers share pandemic struggles in video appeal to demand Ford repeal Bill 124

Health care workers represented by Unifor have launched a video appeal to Premier Doug Ford that shares the struggles they have faced during the pandemic, while being subjected to Ontario’s Bill 124.

“Despite all of the sacrifices that all workers in hospitals, non-profit long-term care homes, and ORNGE Air Ambulance paramedics have made throughout the pandemic, the Ontario government has refused to repeal Bill 124,” said Katha Fortier, Unifor’s lead health care negotiator. “This legislation is an insult to health care workers and has created a greater disparity in the system.”

Letter to Steven Del Duca, Leader Liberal Party Ontario

Steven Del Duca, Leader
Ontario Liberal Party

Dear Steven,

Re: Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) in Ontario

I am writing to you on behalf of the 4,000 Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) represented by Unifor who have stepped up during this pandemic for the people of Ontario.

Letter to Premier Ford regarding retention bonus for nurses

Dear Premier Ford,

We write on behalf of unions that represent over 150,000 dedicated Ontario health care workers, to address the announcement of a one-time $5,000 retention bonus for front-line nurses. Together our unions represent 25,000 Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) and we write to ensure that these nurses are explicitly covered by any retention bonus. Furthermore, we are calling on your government to ensure workers who deliver critical services in Ontario’s retirement homes also receive this retention bonus.

RPNs demand changes to Ontario health system

TORONTO — Unifor representatives and frontline Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) met with Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott on February 7, 2022 to discuss systemic issues and offer concrete solutions to retain and recruit health care workers in Ontario.