Unions want respect for hospital workers
DESPITE FACING an overwhelming workload at hospitals in Niagara and across the province, unions representing those workers say the Ontario Hospital Association is asking for concessions rather than addressing the issues.
“It’s overworked and understaffed,” said Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare president Sharleen Stewart, who represents workers at Niagara Health hospitals.
“They are running off their feet constantly, but the job’s not getting done at the end of the day, because there are not enough staff.”
Unions including SEIU Healthcare, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and Unifor formed an unprecedented alliance Tuesday, after independent negotiations between the unions and OHA reached stalemates when the OHA asked for concessions from workers, such as shift premiums and topping up pay for workers on parental leave.
“The workloads are unbelievable. To come to the table and ask for concessions is frustrating to say the least,” she said.
Collectively, the unions represent more than 75,000 workers at 160 hospitals across the province, including registered practical nurses, personal support workers, dietary, housekeeping and support staff.
Stewart said about one-quarter of the 17,000 hospital workers SEIU Healthcare represents across Ontario work for Niagara Health, and each of the employee groups face exhausting, stressful working conditions.
She said housekeeping staff, for instance, struggle to keep hospitals sanitized due to chronic understaffing and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by patients and visitors.
“There are safety issues for our RPNs as well,” Stewart added. “That’s one of the issues that all three unions are seeking to achieve language in collective agreements to address the violence against the nurses.”
Representatives from Niagara Health and OHA were unavailable to comment, Tuesday.
Stewart said the three unions hope the OHA “will treat our members with respect,” offering similar contracts offered to other employee groups.
“We just want to be treated equal as they are, instead of being told we need to give more and receive less,” Stewart said. “It’s in the best interest of the hospitals and the workers that we
address this.”
Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario council of hospital unions, said his members face difficult workloads leaving them “exhausted and stressed.”
“They experience significant violence at work,” Hurley said, adding that despite reaching agreements with paramedics “the hospitals refuse to extend this modest pattern to the nursing, clerical and support staff that we represent, let alone address issues like violence.”
Unifor’s national president assistant, Katha Fortier, said most of the workers are women “who earn modest wages and deserve more respect.”
The unions are planning protests and rallies in the weeks to come in the hope of pressuring the OHA to return to the bargaining table, including “a provincewide solidarity day” on April 11, workplace rallies on April 18, as well as television and social media advertising campaigns beginning April 9.
Despite her concerns, Stewart hoped that the provincial budget being announced Wednesday would help resolve some of the issues the workers face.
While reports suggested that the budget would contain significant funding increases for hospitals, Stewart hopes “they will put it towards the front line.”