Latest news with #fairdeal
National Post
10-07-2025
- Health
- National Post
CUPE 5525 Members Receive Support From the Ontario Nurses Association as Strike Drags on at Villa Colombo
Article content TORONTO — Striking workers from the Villa Colombo Supportive Housing Unit are thankful that their struggle isn't going unnoticed by the wider labour movement. These personal care workers are members of CUPE 5525 and have been on the picket line since May 28 th outside the care residences, operated by Villa Colombo Home for the Aged and Villa Charities at Dufferin and Lawrence. Article content The Ontario Nurses Association added their union to the growing list of supportive organizations, unions and community members, who want to see a fair deal for the members of CUPE 5525. In a letter addressed to the directors of Villa Colombo and Villa Charities, the ONA calls on the employer to end their use of scab labour and return to the table with an offer that respects the skill and dedication these workers bring to their roles. Article content Article content 'Rather than bargaining a fair deal, you are paying staffing agencies to provide scab labour at a higher rate than you pay your own workers. That is shameful and has resulted in sub-standard care in your homes. Your residents have shared their unhappiness with replacement workers who are not trained or certified to the standards of CUPE 5525 members.' Article content ONA's Provincial President, Erin Ariss and Regional Vice President, Karen McKay-Eden, along with members of the ONA, reinforced the CUPE 5525 picket line and provided lunch for the striking workers. Article content At issue for the union members are fair pay, sick days, and a benefits package that will enable these workers to provide the best care possible for the residents of the buildings they service. The employer's last proposal contained significant concessions to the working conditions of these workers. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information: Article content Article content Article content
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Sask. health care workers protest in downtown Regina over wages and working conditions
WATCH: CUPE health care workers rallied for a fair deal outside of the Delta Hotel on Wednesday. WATCH: CUPE health care workers rallied for a fair deal outside of the Delta Hotel on Wednesday. Health care workers with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) gathered outside a downtown Regina hotel, voicing their frustrations over the ongoing contract negotiations between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Care Organizations (SAHO). Since 2023, CUPE members have been without a collective agreement, and their wages have remained stagnant for over three years. The protest took place outside a downtown Regina hotel where negotiations were being held. Kent Peterson, President of CUPE Saskatchewan, expressed the urgency of the situation, calling on the provincial government and their bargaining representatives to reach a fair deal. 'We're here with frontline health care workers today to encourage the provincial government and their bargaining agents who are actively bargaining, to get a fair deal for health care workers in Saskatchewan,' Peterson told CTV News. Peterson emphasized the frustrating circumstances healthcare workers face in the middle of a retention crisis – paired with a growing cost of living crisis. 'They've gone over three years now without any raise whatsoever and this is in the middle of what is a retention crisis in health care, but also a cost-of-living crisis for these folks,' he said. 'We've seen staffing shortages. We are overworked. We are denied vacation. We are constantly under pressure,' said Bashir Jalil, the President of CUPE health care workers. Representing over 14,000 mental health care professionals across Saskatchewan, Jalil added that the union's members are 'fed up' as they have been without a collective agreement for over two years. Jalil went on to stress the critical issue of wage disparity in Saskatchewan compared to other provinces in western Canada. 'If you look at the wages in this province, compared to western Canada; Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia – we are among the lowest in terms of wages,' he said. He also pointed out the impact of these issues on the healthcare system's ability to function effectively. 'We have staff shortages. We are overworked. We are underpaid, undervalued,' he explained. 'We want to be able to maintain the healthcare we want in this province. We have to be serious about retention of healthcare workers. We want them to come to the bargaining table to improve the working conditions of healthcare workers and also for the public, so we can stop seeing the shortages.' Dionne Wagner, a health care worker at Pasqua Hospital for 25 years, had the same concerns, stressing that the workers' value is often overlooked. 'We deserve better, fair wages,' Wagner said. 'We've been out of contract for three years. Our wages have seen no increase for three years now. It's hard to live. We want this finished. We need this settled.' Reflecting on the challenges Wagner faced as a healthcare professional, she added; 'We worked straight through the COVID. We had to be tested. Some of us had to get COVID. We were heroes, but now we feel underpaid, undervalued. We're very important to keep your health up, and without that, people could die.' Jalil also pointed out the larger consequences of Saskatchewan's growing population and its reduced healthcare funding. 'Our population is growing. The funding we are having to healthcare is reduced. We cannot continue to operate healthcare when we see an increased population,' he said. The CUPE representative made clear that these problems are not isolated to staffing or wages but are symptomatic of a deeper issue that needs urgent attention. 'Why are we having all these closures in these facilities? Because we do not have staff to work in these places. We have to address the fundamental problem that is recruitment and retention of healthcare providers in this province,' Jalil explained. In response to the ongoing protest, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health issued a statement reiterating their commitment to supporting healthcare workers, highlighting that retroactive payments were offered to employees in certain pay bands. 'Health-care workers are vital in assisting and supporting each of us through our health journey. They are valued and appreciated for their contributions and dedication to patients, clients, and the health system,' the statement read. However, CUPE has rejected this offer, pointing out that the proposed retroactive payments do not adequately address the significant wage gap and ongoing working conditions for healthcare workers. As the protest continued, both Peterson and Jalil emphasized the long-term goal of the movement: to keep Saskatchewan residents working in the province. 'We want to be able to have people from Saskatchewan who are going to school, stay in this province, get educated, and have a life here,' Jalil said. As the bargaining process continues, healthcare workers and union representatives are hopeful that the government will take their concerns seriously and make meaningful changes to ensure the province's healthcare system can continue to meet the needs of its growing population.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
CUPE health care workers rally for fair deal
Regina Watch WATCH: CUPE health care workers rallied for a fair deal outside of the Delta Hotel on Wednesday.
National Post
27-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
OCEU/CUPE 1750 Calls on WSIB to Offer Fair Deal Before Canada Day
Article content TORONTO — With the Canada Day long weekend fast approaching, the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750) is calling on WSIB leadership to stop stalling and bring forward a fair deal for more than 3,600 frontline staff who remain on strike. Article content Despite claims from WSIB that negotiations are 'ongoing,' the union has not received a contact proposal from the employer since June 15. The Union called on the employer to table their best and final offer. Article content 'This lack of meaningful engagement shows Ontario the WSIB leadership has turned their back on the 5.6 million workers covered by the WSIB,' said Harry Goslin, president of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'WSIB owes it their employees to get back to face to face negotiations – not hide behind the mediator.' Article content Goslin also rejected WSIB's claim that the union is unwilling to accept a deal. Article content 'We are prepared to accept a fair deal. What we're not going to accept is an offer that fails to respect the critical work our members do,' he said. 'The employer hasn't presented a 'yes' offer – they've presented low wages and more study to understand workload. We don't need more study, we need immediate action. Workers have clearly said no to the status quo.' Article content The union's bargaining team remains available 24/7. But the employer's silence and unwillingness to table a fair proposal have stalled progress – prolonging a strike that continues to impact injured workers and frontline services. Article content 'We're going into another weekend of disruption because WSIB refuses to act,' Goslin said. 'They need to stop hiding behind spin, step up and offer a fair deal before Canada Day.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content
CTV News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Union president visits striking WSIB workers
Northern Ontario Watch The president of the union representing striking WSIB visited the picket line in North Bay on Tuesday, calling for the employer to make a fair deal.
