By Liz Dadson
Despite freezing temperatures and howling winds Thursday morning, Kincardine hospital's professionals huddled outside at their information picket to make their point.
That point being there is a severe shortage of hospital professionals who provide diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative services in the province's 160 hospitals. And that shortage is hurting patient care.
Karen Passmore, a laboratory technician at the Kincardine hospital and president of Local 275 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), was joined by a dozen colleagues at the bottom of the hill at the hospital driveway at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
At noon, they were huddled together at the top of the hill, eating pizza and trying to stay out of the vicious, biting wind.
"We've received a lot of support from people," said Passmore. "They've come by and brought us coffee and hot chocolate. We have people here from other sectors in the hospital, housekeeping and service staff; we have people from the CAW (Canadian Auto Workers), the Women's House and the Power Workers' Union. People have
been stopping and asking about what we're doing and they're taking our brochures."
The brochure notes that staff shortages put your health at risk.
"Every hospital depends on a team of skilled health care professionals for patient diagnosis, treatment and recovery," states the brochure. "We do your ECG, CT scan or MRI. We make sure you get the right dose of medication. We process your biopsy to see if you have cancer. In over 90 occupations, hospital professionals
are proud to say, `Without us, your doctor is only guessing. ... We are the backbone of your recovery.'"
The Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled last Tuesday that the one-day protest was illegal and punishable by fines, disciplinary action or even prosecution.
OPSEU spokesperson Kate FitzRandolph said the fact that the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) went to the labour board shows it is taking its members seriously. "Unfortunately, the board ruling doesn't solve the problem of understaffed hospitals, the lack of training on the job, and the overburdened workload. These are
issues we'd like to address."
Passmore stressed that everyone on the information picket in Kincardine was legally off work, on vacation or on their lunch break, with nobody breaking any laws in order to join in the day of protest.
"We are allowed to hold this demonstration, but we can't block any entrances or harass anyone," she said.
Friday afternoon, Passmore told The Independent that the OHA and OPSEU have announced an agreement regarding a central arbitration process for the 40 participating hospitals and OPSEU locals.
In addition, the parties agreed to a mediation with the board of arbitration on the evening of March 6, subject to the board's availability. If the board is not available, then the parties agreed to meet on March 7.
The hospital professionals voted in favour of the day of protest to back their demands for more staff and a 23-per-cent wage increase over two years. The last offer from the OHA was about nine per cent over two years.
About 5,000 professionals at 40 hospitals have been without a contract since March 31, 2002. Their salaries range from $37,000 to about $50,000, after their last raise in April, 2001.
