FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 31,  2000

Hospital health care professionals ratify three-year deal

TORONTO - Close to 5,000 hospital health care professionals in 42 Ontario hospitals have ratified a new collective agreement.

The contract, which runs from April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2002, provides wage increases of two, two, and three per cent in consecutive years of the three-year contract, plus benefit and job security improvements. The former contract expired one year ago today.

“This contract takes a step toward full recognition of the important work done by hospital professionals who don’t happen to be doctors or nurses,” said Diane Bull, negotiator for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

The new collective agreement sets up a joint employer-union committee to raise public awareness of the important work of physiotherapists, laboratory technologists, pharmacists, x-ray technologists, respiratory therapists, and workers in 80 other professional jobs.

“Hospitals simply cannot operate without these health professionals,” said Bull. “It’s time the public got to know us a little better.”

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For more information: Diane Bull (416) 443-8888 ext. 715

Participating Hospitals - OPSEU Central Bargaining

Barrie The Royal Victoria Hospital of Barrie
Belleville Quinte Healthcare Corporation
Brantford St. Joseph’s Hospital
Burlington Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital
Cambridge Cambridge Memorial Hospital
Chatham Chatham-Kent Health Alliance
Coburg Northumberland Health Care Centre
Collingwood Collingwood General & Marine Hospital
Cornwall RHSJ Health Centre - Hotel Dieu Hospital
Guelph Guelph General Hospital
Hamilton Hamilton Health Sciences Centre
Hamilton St. Joseph’s Hospital
Hawkesbury Hawkesbury & District General Hospital
Huntsville Algonquin Health Services
Ingersoll Alexandra Hospital
Kingston Hotel Dieu Hospital
Kingston Kingston General Hospital
Lindsay Ross Memorial Hospital
Little Current Manitoulin Health Care
London London Health Sciences Centre
New Liskeard Temiskaming Hospital
North Bay North Bay General Hospital
Orangeville Dufferin-Caledon Health Care Corp.
Oshawa Lakeridge Health Care Corporation
Peterborough Peterborough Regional Health Ctre.
Sault Ste. Marie The Sault Area Hospitals
Simcoe Norfolk General Hospital
Timmins Timmins & District Hospital
Stratford Stratford General Hospital
Sturgeon Falls West Nipissing General Hospital
Sudbury Sudbury Regional Hospital Corp,
Thunder Bay Thunder Bay Regional Hospital
Toronto Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care
Toronto Mount Sinai Hospital
Toronto The Riverdale Hospital
Toronto Rouge Valley Health System
Toronto University Health Network
Toronto Humber River Regional
Welland Welland County General Hospital