Nearly 50 technologists, technicians, and assistants at Stevenson Memorial Hospital have become the latest health professionals to join OPSEU/SEFPO. The union’s newest members work in the hospital’s laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments.
“Working as a front-line health professional has never been easy, but the pandemic has taken the challenges to a whole new level,” said OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “I’d like to congratulate our newest members at Stevenson Memorial for uniting with us in our great union to face those challenges together.
“Now that they can start speaking as one, they’ll have much more power to demand that their employer gives them the safety and working conditions they need.”
The new members at Stevenson Memorial join another group of service workers at the hospital who already belong to OPSEU/SEFPO.
And they’re just the latest group of health professionals to vote in favour of becoming members of the union. Since the beginning of 2020, health professionals at Almonte General, St. Joseph’s Health Care London, Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill have all said yes to OPSEU/SEFPO.
Overall, roughly 5,000 front-line public sector workers have joined OPSEU/SEFPO since the beginning of the year, making it one of the fastest-growing unions in the country.
“5,000 new members in any year would be outstanding. That many new members during the pandemic is amazing,” said OPSEU/SEFPO First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida. “I’m proud that when front-line workers decide they want the protection and strength of a union, so many of them join together with us.”
OPSEU/SEFPO now represents roughly 170,000 workers across the province.
“We could all use some good news these days, and this is great news,” said Sara Labelle, Chair of the OPSEU/SEFPO Hospital Professionals Division. “It’s great news for our new members and for our union – we’re all stronger together.
“And it’s also great news for Stevenson Memorial and the entire community it serves. When health professionals have the safety and working conditions they need, they can put all of their efforts into providing the community with the highest quality care. Everybody wins!”