May 2, 2012 Members of OPSEU Local 439, Brockville Mental
Health Centre of the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, have received a significant
award from Arbitrator Brian Keller. more...
December 22, 2011Medline - The Hospital Professionals Division Newsletter, Winter 2011:
New members; the HOOPP Part-Time Campaign; Broader Public Sector Conference 2011; Is your work being transferred? PSLRTA can help;
more..
December 20, 2011 Hospital professionals with OPSEU Local
590 at Humber River Regional Hospital have received an arbitration award
providing them with a new collective agreement.
more..
November 30, 2011 Effective 2012, it is law for all members of a Regulated Health Profession to carry Professional Liability Insurance. OPSEU has, in consultation with CG&B Insurance Group, arranged for our affected members an opportunity to get insurance at a discounted rate.
more..
August 19, 2011 The outcome of this election may
determine your future workload, your family’s access to health care, the hours
you work, who you work for, or whether you will have a job at all. The HPD election primer looks at the party promises, the issues, offers
helpful suggestions on what you can do, and gives sample questions for
all-candidate meetings.
Printed copies of the 11” x 17” Election Primer are being sent
to each local. You can also download it here.
more...
July 6, 2011 Hospital professionals represented by the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union have targeted the Ontario PC pledge to
undermine job security through competitions for jobs public sector workers
already have.
more..
June 17 2011News Release Arbitrator William
Kaplan has issued an arbitration award for a new three-year collective agreement
covering 9,000 hospital professionals employed in 46 hospitals across Ontario.
more...
April 11, 2011 In his first rally following re-election
at OPSEU’s Convention, April 8th President Warren (Smokey) Thomas challenged
Ontario Hospital Association President Tom Closson to sit down and talk about
the hundreds of hospital professionals that get treated as an afterthought by
hospitals and the Ontario government.
more...
April 5, 2011 Grey Bruce Health Services has cut the jobs
of seven speech language pathologists and assistants and is hoping they will
apply for new jobs at the Grey Bruce Health Unit.
more...
April 1, 2011 After eight days of bargaining, which
included one and a half days of mediation, your HPD bargaining team is now
preparing to take unresolved issues to arbitration.
more...
New hospital battles looming – Windsor CEO talks of cuts
November 23, 2010 WINDSOR --
Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj has continually suggested that his
workers should effectively pay with their wages for his struggles to balance
the budget. While the province tells us they are giving hospitals a funding
increase of 4.9 per cent this year, Musyj suggest it is 1.49 per cent. His
audited statement says otherwise.
Go to DiaBlogue for full story.
Tax cuts or health care? OPSEU Hospital Professionals Speak out
Tax cuts or health care? OPSEU Hospital
Professionals speak about priorities for health care in preparation for the
October 6, 2011 provincial election. The Hospital Professionals Division is
launching a campaign that asks us to choose between tax cuts for large
corporations or health care for all Ontarians. (Length: 7 minutes)
October 28, 2010 OPSEU president Smokey Thomas will be a
featured speaker at a special community forum in Walkerton on Nov. 2 organized
to examine the mounting problems at South Grey Bruce Health Care .
more...
October 6, 2010 Despite employer arguments that they
couldn’t afford to pay, an Arbitrator has ruled in favour of increases to wages,
shift premiums and benefits for 400 OPSEU members at Windsor Regional Hospital.
more...
March 26, 2010 Facing cuts to diagnostic imaging and outpatient lab
services, a rally will be held to save hospital services at St. Thomas Elgin
General Hospital on Monday, March 29
more...
March 18, 2010 St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital is installing a $550,000
biometric scanning device for monitoring their employees at a time the hospital
is making cuts to outpatient laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging
more...
March 4, 2010The Northumberland Hills Hospital
is making deep cuts to patient services, leaving the county with fewer beds, no
publicly-funded outpatient rehab services, and closure of the diabetes education
and outreach program.more...
St. Thomas Elgin Hospital cuts diagnostic and lab
services - OPSEU
February 19, 2010 ST. THOMAS
Despite emerging from its financial deficit, St. Thomas
Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) is cutting services that
will limit access to outpatient lab testing, increase
waits for diagnostic imaging, and impact jobs in the
community. Six positions are expected to be eliminated
from the lab and diagnostic imaging – this at a time
when the Ontario government is spending to stimulate new
jobs in the economy.
more…
Despite surplus, Rouge Valley announces more layoffs
of professional staff
February 5, 2010 Despite running
a surplus, Rouge Valley Health System has given notice
of layoff this week, claiming the cuts are part of their
third-year deficit elimination plan.
more...
Stand up for our public hospitals
November 30, 2009 A new on-line
site --
www.avoidingzero.ca -- quickly links the public to
their MPPs over a plan to freeze funding to hospitals.
more...
Board dismisses hospitals’ request to file more evidence
October 23, 2009 Your bargaining team
is happy to inform you that the Board of Arbitration has
dismissed the hospitals' request to introduce further
evidence. Now the Board can focus on our award. We will
inform you of the details when it is received.
NUPGE calls for N95 respirators for all health care workers
September 8, 2009 The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) says all health care workers exposed to a pandemic flu virus like H1N1 should be given fit-tested NIOSH approved N95 respirators to protect them on the job.
more...
HPD launches sweeping radio blitz today
June 26, 2009 With arbitration heading
into its final day next week, Hospitals Professionals have
launched a massive radio advertising campaign calling for
respect and equality with other health care professionals
more...
MAHC dodges public consultations
June 23, 2009 As it prepares to close Burk’s Falls
hospital, Muskoka Algonquin Health Care is carefully avoiding any meaningful
public consultation more...
Hospital restructuring summit set for Oshawa
The Central East LHIN has developed a plan to reorganize
hospital services across the region. On Monday April 20, 2009 a
free hospital summit will be held in Oshawa from 10 am to 4 pm, at the
Tosca Banquet and Conference Centre: 800 Champlain Ave. Guest speaker
John Lister, Director of the London Health Emergency Coalition and
author of Health Policy Reform: Driving the Wrong Way, will lead a
high-level briefing of the LHIN plan, discuss its implications and cover
various strategies for action.
We encourage OPSEU members to attend and show support
for their community hospitals. Please register in advance by filling out
the following form:
Staff shortages inevitable as HPD heads into arbitration
February 25, 2009 OPSEU negotiators are warning that Ontario hospitals face a shortfall in hospital professionals
more...
For additional HPD Bargaining news and information,
click here
Muskoka loses local community lab testing
today
February 13, 2009 A decision that
never made any sense.
more...
Company walks away from private physio contract at Kincardine hospital
January 6, 2009 OPSEU has won a battle against a controversial decision to contract out in-patient physiotherapy at the Kincardine
hospital. more…
Smitherman a no-show at Hamilton demonstration
December 1, 2008 Deputy premier and former health
minister George Smitherman was absent from a ceremony at the Centre for
Mountain Health Services in Hamilton on Saturday where more than 100
unionists demonstrated against service and job cuts
more...
OPSEU hospital professionals march on Caplan constituency office
November 21, 2008 More than 100 members of the OPSEU
Hospital Professionals Division marched to Health Minister David Caplan’s
Toronto constituency office November 21 to ask for a halt to the present
round of hospital cuts. more…
Ministry will say anything to justify bad lab decision -- Thomas
October 29, 2008 Letter to the Editor --
Bracebridge Examinermore…
Rouge Valley layoffs backfire as Ajax mental health services struggle to continue
August 20, 2008 AJAX – Despite paying out costly severance packages, the Rouge Valley Health System is trying to hire back limited staff on a casual basis to try and keep mental health services going at the Ajax hospital.
more...
Massive crowd denounces
health care privatization in Bruce County
July 31, 2008 KINCARDINE - More than 250 members of the
community picked up OPSEU picket signs this
morning to voice a loud protest against
privatization of this southwestern Ontario
town’s hospital physiotherapy clinic. more...
President Thomas to visit North Bay Aug 5
July 30, 2008 With North Bay's new
hospital moving closer to completion, OPSEU is extending its
appreciation to dozens of its members who officially changed
employer June 30.
more...
Community mobilizes to stop private clinic – picket planned
July 28, 2008 Community protests are growing against a decision to
privatize the Kincardine Hospital’s physiotherapy services. A picket is
planned for Thursday. more...
Kincardine residents must pay for previously covered services
July 16, 2008 A private for-profit
physiotherapy company is moving into the Kincardine
Hospital, charging for outpatient services that used to be
publicly-funded.more...
First test of LHIN legislation Friday
July 10, 2008 The first test of legislation creating the Local
Health Integration Networks (LHINs) will go before the courts on Friday.
more...
HPD Scholarship deadline extended to Sept. 1
July 8, 2008 Your HPD Executive has extended the deadline for the HPD Scholarships
to Sept. 1, 2008.
Details of the scholarships
Health care activists to converge at Rouge Valley Hospital Monday to stop
erosion
of services
June 23, 2008 Defenders of public health care and front
line workers picketed today at the Rouge Valley Hospital System’s Centenary site
more...
Central East LHIN threatens jobs in Scarborough
and Durham
June 13, 2008 The Central East Local Health
Integration Network (LHIN) is about to unveil a plan to force every
hospital in its area -- including Whitby Mental Health, Rouge Valley and
Lakeridge -- to contract out one per cent of its operating budget to a
community-based agency. more...
OPSEU, ONA ask “Why kick Durham region when it is down?”
June 6, 2008 With horrific cuts in the auto
industry devastating Durham Region, it’s a fine time to kick the mental
health supports out from under the area’s residents, say unions
representing the workers in the affected communities.
more...
Rouge Valley Health System to cut more than 60 Beds
June 5, 2008: Surgical, rehab, medicine and
cardiology beds among additional cuts at Rouge Valley Health System
more...
LHIN runs from criticism over mental health cuts at Ajax-Pickering
June 3, 2008 The Central East Local Health Integration Network is running from criticism over proposed cuts to mental health beds at the Ajax-Pickering site of the Rouge Valley Health System - literally .more...
Rouge Valley: What's going on?
June 2, 2008 Hospital adds more mental health staff
as beds are cut in Ajax..
more...
More than 700 attend rally in Ajax to save hospital services
May 5, 2008 Despite a tremendous downpour, more
than 700 members of the community attended a rally in Ajax May 3 to save
mental health beds at the Ajax-Pickering hospital. OPSEU Vice-President/
Treasurer Patty Rout spoke at the event.
View photos.
Ajax Rally
April 28, 2008 Ajax Rally - Saturday May 3rd to save
mental health beds at the Ajax-Pickering hospital. Meet at 12:30 Noon at the
Ajax Town Hall. Click here to download
poster.
HPD Pay Equity Meeting
April 11, 2008 OPSEU and the Participating Hospitals
have agreed to hold a day-long information and training session on the
roll-out of our central pay equity process on May 29, 2008, in Toronto.
More…
Escalating shortage of lab professionals threatens patient care
April 10, 2008 In the lead-up to National Medical
Laboratory Week, Canada’s largest organization of health science
professionals is sounding alarm bells that accessible and high quality
patient care is threatened by an escalating shortage of medical laboratory
technologists across the country.
more...
HPD Pay Equity steering committee update
March 26, 2008 The Hospital Professionals Division’s
Central Pay Equity Steering Committee has been hard at work.
More...
NEWS RELEASE
Diagnostic errors could rise if lab shortages
not addressed -- OPSEU
March 17, 2008 Province is sleepwalking on issue of
lab shortages -- Patty Rout
more...
Fifth anniversary of a great OPSEU victory
February
13, 2008 It was a cold and snowy day across Ontario – minus 38
degrees in Timmins – when OPSEU hospital professionals took a stand in a
rousing and successful Day of Action, Feb. 13, 2003.
more...
December 11, 2007 Lakeridge Healthcare
Corporation and OPSEU Local 348, supplementary award on uniforms.
More...
Local interest arbitration hearings done
October 3, 2007 All HPD Local Interest Arbitration hearings for the
2006-2009 round have been completed. More...
Shortage of professionals causes hospital waits
August 16, 2007 OPSEU First Vice-President/Treasurer Patty Rout responds to
a Toronto Sun article about MRI wait times
more...
August 2, 2007Rally at Hamilton St. Joseph’s
Healthcare About 70 activists rallied Aug. 1 outside Hamilton’s St. Joseph’s
Healthcare. Meanwhile inside, the hospital issued layoff notices to staff who
work at three lab collection sites. More…
July 9, 2007 St. Joseph's Healthcare closing three lab sites On Oct. 31,
2007, St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton will close the three remaining
community labs that it operates. About 20 full and part-time employees will be
affected. OPSEU members can sign Local 206’s petition.
more...
Workload Forms HPD Members have
the right to bring workload issues to the attention
of the employer. Download
workload alert forms and
explanatory note.
rose-coloured glasses
erosion
of services 
February
13, 2008 It was a cold and snowy day across Ontario – minus 38
degrees in Timmins – when OPSEU hospital professionals took a stand in a
rousing and successful Day of Action, Feb. 13, 2003.
