WOW!
Members make Day of Action a huge success
It has been a grand day.
Across the province, hospital professionals have been taking a stand for a fair contract, fair arbitration, and an end to shortages that are hurting our health care system.
In local after local, members set up picket lines and told their stories to the news media.
This was THE story in Ontario today, and a major story across the country.
“This Day of Action has been a huge success,” said President Leah Casselman.
“Bravo and well done to everyone who took part and everyone who worked hard to make it happen.”
HPD Action’s limited reporting staff makes detailed reports from all hospitals impossible.
We’ll print what we have today, and solicit more complete stories from all the hospitals for the next edition and the website.
Please email your reports, and any digital pictures of your Feb. 13 to HPD Action. Send them to Katie FitzRandolph in OPSEU communications. The email is kfitzrandolph@opseu.org. We will get them into HPD Action and onto the website.
Here’s a preliminary roundup of events across Ontario, organized by local number.
Local 106
London Health Sciences Centre
Pickets at all three hospital locations plus St. Joseph’s were supported by electrical workers doing construction at the University campus. The protest had good support from patients and all departments.
Rick Witherspoon, president of the labour council, and a candidate for the NDP nomination in London North addressed a rally.
Local 141
Stratford General Hospital
Local president Tony Hirdes said more than 80 members and friends showed up on the line, starting at 6:30 am, despite temperatures of minus 25. Tony said members came out in good numbers even after heavy-handed threats and intimidation on the 12th. HPD members were joined by Correctional Officers from the OPS, CUPE members,
and CAW.
Local 149
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance
Chatham had 50 pickets out in the protest.
Local 215
Niagara Health System
Well over 200 people were on the line. There were no hassles except for the lab at Welland. There, members were told “You can’t do this.” They left a skeleton staff in place and did it.
There were 30 people on the line at Hotel Dieu with support from CUPE.
Local 227
Dufferin-Caledon
“We had a great time,” said local president Chris Madill. She reported excellent participation and lots of media interest. Of 55 members, 45 were in the line, and the others were either in critical care or stayed home.
A few members were called in during the day for critical care and came back out immediately afterwards. Six members also tried to pay a visit to their local MPP Ernie Eves, who was opening a nursing home addition in Shelburne. They were prevented from going in by security. “Just tell Ernie we’re here,” said the members.
Local 231
Guelph General Hospital
Members were on the line in rotating shifts from 6:30 am until 3:30 pm. Spirits were good for a bunch of members who had never been on a picket line before, reports staff rep Kerry Gennings. Lots of coffee and hot choclate were delivered to the line including an offer for such from the HR Director.
About 60 members participated and the Hospital was phoning people asking them to reschedule outpatient visits, where possible.
Local 239
Cambridge Memorial
There was 100 per cent participation.
“It was absolutely solid, a wonderful picket,” said staff rep Terry Moore. Reception from passing vehicles on Coronation Blvd. was “amazing.” There were 50-80 people on the line at most times during the day, and media interest was high. Diagnostic imaging staff went in, in return for a “no reprisals” agreement with the
hospital, but these members also took part in picketing on their breaks.
Locals 260 and 275
Grey Bruce Health Services
About 150 union members attending a CLC winter school in Port Elgin bolstered the local picket line. Speakers included CLC executive vice-president Barb Byers.
Local 346
Royal Victoria in Barrie
About 30 members were on the line, with members taking time on the line in shifts. The hospital director brought coffee to the line twice and muffins. He also told members, in writing, there would be no discipline for their participation in the Day of Action.
Local 347
Collingwood General and Marine
Len Fligg reports 80 per cent participation (19 out of 24) from the diagnostic imaging and laboratory staff. The picket lasted from 9 a.m. until noon. “It was really encouraging. Many of the people who were unsure and afraid of going out did really well.” Two TV stations and two newspapers dropped by. Response from passing
vehicles was overwhelmingly positive.
Local 348
Lakeridge Health Corporation
The protest drew 100 people. President Leah Casselman visited the line, and CUPE Ontario head Sid Ryan addressed a rally.
Local 366
Huntsville District Memorial Hospital
Members staged a 50-minute protest and had a huge picket, then went in to work at 7:50 a.m. and met with the administrator, who bought a round of coffee. The doctors applauded.
Local 402
RHSJ Healthcare and Hotel Dieu
It was very cold, warming to minus 20 by noon. The whole local came out at 6:30 a.m. except for those providing critical care. There was no trouble on the lines.
OPSEU represents everyone at Hotel Dieu, including the nurses, and everyone inside was wearing red. The only police problem involved cars honking their support in the hospital zone. “We weren’t encouraging it. It’s a union town,” said EBM Gavin Anderson.
Presidents of other locals and the labour council visited the line.
Locals 444 and 451
Kingston General and Hotel Dieu
“Exceeding all expectations” was the report from member mobilizer Brendan Kilcline.
A constant stream of hot chocolate, timbits, sandwiches, and hand-warmers brought by members of other locals and other unions made facing the icy winds off of Lake Ontario bearable. A rally mid-day heard from representatives from the Labour Council, Health Coalition and the NDP. OPSEU First Vice-President/Treasurer Smokey
Thomas divided time between here and Belleville.
Local 480
Quinte Health Care Corporation
In Picton, there were 14 members on the line and two inside doing critical care work. That accounted for 100 per cent of the unit.
Belleville reported 70 members out, and Trenton another 15.
Local 620
Sault Ste. Marie General Hospital
Things were rocking, with 45 on the line.
Local 643
Timmins and District Hospital
About 60 members joined the protest.
“A large part of the group are lab and x ray technologists and respiratory therapists who 10 years ago had wages on par with registered nurses and that is what we want today,” said Local president Larry Lovelace. “This is the first time that many of these health professionals have protested, so you know they feel very
strongly about the issue.”
Membership was pumped up and the line was strong. Only critical care was covered. At 6:30 a.m. it was minus 38. Cell phone batteries died instantly and cameras would not work but the members kept moving and stayed warm. Gilles Bisson, NDP MPP, arrived for the lunch hour and was a great morale booster, reports Rick Dagenais.
We decided to end the day with a big bang. Bisson and I surprised the hospital H.R. and advised him that the members were returning to work. He wasn’t sure if he would allow them to return.
I gave him the options: the entire picket line was coming into the hospital led by Bisson with media waiting in the lobby or if he did not let them return to work it was a lockout. He agreed to let people return.
There was no work in some departments because of cancelled appointments so a few members were not needed. Now we will grieve because the system used to determine who worked and who didn’t wasn’t fair.
Local 662
North Bay General Hospital
Things began in North Bay at 7 a.m. with more than 60 members out even though the thermometer hit minus 36. As the day wore on and the temperature warmed to a balmy minus 30, they were joined by more members coming off nights, ONA, CUPE, and of course a number of OPS members who were looking for a picket line to alleviate
withdrawal symptoms. The members did everything they could to help drive the message home to the OHA. All in all, an excellent demonstration, reports staff rep Gord Hamilton.
Local 715
Thunder Bay Regional Hospital
Between the two sites there were 300 people on the lines, with great support from ONA, SEIU, CAW, CUPW and CUPE, not to mention OPSEU members from the public service. The president of the College of Respiratory Therapists, Keith Olimb, was spokesperson for the demo.
One of the doctors brought coffee and donuts for everyone on the line, reports staff rep Jan Pilley.
OHA mis-read us and the hospitals, Casselman says
A growing rebellion among members of the Ontario Hospital Association shows that “the OHA is totally dysfunctional,” OPSEU president Leah Casselman said today.
Casselman made the comment after learning that Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto had decided to back OPSEU’s plan to settle the current dispute at 40 hospitals through a single unrestricted arbitration. Mount Sinai joins three other hospitals already on board with the plan.
“The OHA needs to be listening,” Casselman told a crowd of 300 that rallied all day on Toronto’s Hospital Row. “They need to be listening to you. They need to be listening to their hospitals,” she said. “It is a crisis. It is getting worse. It needs to be fixed now.”
Casselman called on Ontario Health Minister Tony Clement and the Queen’s Park Tories to get involved in settling this contract.
“You’ve got their attention,” she told the crowd. “I’m asking them to step in and step up to address your issues and get their heads out of… wherever they are. The system doesn’t work without you folks, and we’re going to work to make it better for you.”
Top labour leaders were offered support. Wayne Samuelson spoke for the Ontario Federation of Labour. Marie Clarke-Walker spoke for the 2.5 million-strong Canadian Labour Congress.
“The Ontario Nurses Association applauds your courage,” said ONA vice-president Marcia Taylor. “OPSEU members, you deserve a contract and the right to have a single unrestricted arbitration. Don’t be intimidated. We’re standing with you.”
“The government is running slick ads declaring that the health system is in great shape,” said Ontario New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton. His message to the Tories: “Get the ads off TV and get [the OHA] to the bargaining table.”
Hampton voiced support for a single unrestricted arbitration covering all 40 hospitals involved in central bargaining. “Even the hospitals are agreeing with you,” he told the OPSEU members.
Just in case....
OPSEU stands behind its members.
If there are any repercussions for taking part in the Day of Action, make sure you collect all the paperwork and get copies to your staff representative and to the central union.
Send copies to Moya Beall
by fax: 416-448-7451
or by mail to 100 Lesmill Road, Toronto, Ontario, M3B 3P8.
Don’t delay. If there is any kind of pattern to discipline, the union needs to know it quickly.
Support from hospitals outside central bargaining
Local 305 - Bracebridge
Members of Local 305 at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital Bracebridge put up a display in the main corridor of the hospital today.
They are not in central bargaining, but have been without a contract since April 1, 2002. They are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the central process.
Local 143 - Windsor
In Windsor, nearly 100 members came out and walked the lunch-time picket that we set up at the Windsor Regional Hospital. There was a lot of media coverage and a lot of smiling faces and lots of RED.
“We also had support from some of the OPS members down here. It was a great turn out, one that the employer wasn’t anticipating. It makes me proud to be a healthcare professional in this Union. A job well done!” reports Marisa Forsyth.
Local 145 - Sarnia
There was also a supportive information picket line in Sarnia over the lunch hour.
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