News Releases    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 30, 2003

Unions to seek injunction on sale of hospitals

TORONTO - The Ontario Public Service Employees Union and allies are seeking an injunction to stop Ernie Eves from privatizing public hospitals in the dying days of his government.

OPSEU along with the Canadian Union of Public Employees / Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (CUPE-OCHU), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Ontario Health Coalitions (OHC) will force the government to appear in court to defend its rash pre-election sell-off of the Royal Ottawa Hospital and the William Osler Health Centre in Brampton.

“We want to stop this process in its tracks to ensure Eves and his corporate cronies, who are going to be kicked out of office, don’t make off with any of the valuable assets,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman.

The board of the Royal Ottawa Hospital last week signed a contract with a consortium that includes multinational corporations. Cabinet approval of this deal is expected in the next few days. Polls suggest the Conservatives are likely to be defeated in Thursday’s provincial election.

“Private ownership of public hospitals is bad for patients, taxpayers and communities. The government’s actions are unlawful. It is defying the will of the public in pushing ahead with these disastrous plans. We warned them if they did not desist, we would ask the courts to stop them,” Casselman said.

OPSEU, CUPE, SEIU and the Ontario Health Coalition are asking the courts to quash any deals that have been signed for private hospitals, arguing the deals contravene the Public Hospitals Act.

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For further information, please contact:

David Cox, OPSEU Communications, 416-788-9197