FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 26, 2001

Hospital health care workers choose OPSEU

LONDON – Hospital medical professionals at St. Joseph’s Health Care London have voted overwhelmingly to be represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

There are 79 medical technicians, technologists and therapists at the hospital, who had previously been represented by the Service Employees International Union. They voted to decertify with SEIU, and then looked around for another union to represent them. Of those voting, the tally was 61 in favour of OPSEU and one for no union.

"We are delighted to welcome these members into OPSEU," said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. "We are always pleased when people see us as the union of choice."

Casselman noted that Canadian Auto Workers have raided other units of the same SEIU local without going through the appropriate Canadian Labour Congress protocol for switching unions. This has led to CLC sanctions against the CAW and a major rift in the Canadian labour movement.

"These members did it the right way. They wanted a new union, but they followed the CLC rules to get one," Casselman said. "They came to OPSEU because we have the support and the expertise to win better contracts for health care workers."

OPSEU represents more than 20,000 health care workers in Ontario.

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For further information:

Katie FitzRandolph (OPSEU Communications) (416) 448-7440

Leah Casselman (OPSEU President) (416) 443-8888 Ext. 300