Press Release
Hospital workers across Ontario, including in Fort Frances, Emo, and Rainy River, are slated to take part in a rally tomorrow (April 18) from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. to bring public attention to the fact they want hospital employers to bargain fairly.
CUPE, SEIU, and Unifor have formed an alliance and are doing an escalating membership mobilization together to push Ontario hospitals to return to bargaining and treat them with respect.
The campaign, entitled “Together for Respect,” marks the first time the three unions have come together like this.
Hospital workers want to negotiate a contract without concessions, with a modest wage increase-similar to what other hospital workers already have gotten and one that provides stronger workplace violence protections.
Last Wednesday, hospital workers at all three sites and province-wide wore a “Together for Respect” sticker inside the hospital.
Tomorrow’s rally is their second province-wide solidarity action for a new contract.
The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions of CUPE, along with other two unions, is back at the bargaining table this coming weekend with the Ontario Hospital Association.
It is the first time back at bargaining since contract talks broke off in late September.
CUPE Local 4807 represents 185 hospital workers at La Verendrye Hospital here and the health centres in Emo and Rainy River, including RPNs, PSWs, maintenance, trades, pharmacy, housekeeping, dietary, laundry, medical device reprocessing, activation, supply chain, and clerical staff.
