The Ontario Hospital Association has sent an employee wellness survey to 19 Ontario Hospitals. The cover letter from OHA President David MacKinnon claims hospital CEO and senior managers, “as well as union leaders” are backing the study.
News to us. The OHA has not discussed the study with OPSEU.
This is supposedly a pilot for a wider distribution.
We know the glaring problems in our workplaces. They don’t need a whole lot of study.
OPSEU has been telling the OHA about the problems at the bargaining table.
You know - short staffing, huge workloads, workplace stress.
Your team has told the OHA at the table that the way to start addressing these problems is by bargaining a fair contract.
You have told them through your actions in the last few months to get back to the table and improve wages and working conditions.
Of course OPSEU wants healthy workplaces. Of course the hospitals should improve the situation.
But the place to start is in bargaining. OPSEU advises you not to participate in this study at this time. It’s not what we need right now.
The survey asks you what hospitals can do to achieve their vision of model workplaces. So tell them:
Phone/FAX/e-mail David MacKinnon, and tell him the message is to bargain NOW.
He wants to hear from you. Let him have it.
Here’s where to reach him:
(416) 205-1306
FAX: (416) 205-1310
publicaffairs@oha.com
CUPE local urges support for Day of Action
CUPE Local 79 in Toronto has urged its activists to support OPSEU HPD members.
Paul Edwards, acting chair of the local’s strike committee, sent this email to his members:
“I urge you to lend support to our sister union OPSEU which has endured the Tory onslaught on public services and public governance.... Public sector unions including OPSEU and CUPE have borne the brunt of the battle....
“OPSEU is now facing an employer that is refusing to negotiate for nearly a year. During our last strike OPSEU generously donated almost $20,000 to our Strike Hardship Fund. They made this generous offer despite just coming off an eight-week strike with the Tories. OPSEU needs our support. Please assist our sister union in
her time of trouble.
“A rally is planned in Toronto for February 13. Please take time and attend and lend support. The flyers attached suggest what else you might do to help.”
The local represents 18,000 city workers in Toronto.
Need more info?
