Sick of second-class status: SickKids employees to rally for same pension plan as other Ontario hospital staff on Tuesday

SickKids is set to become the only hospital in Ontario that doesn’t offer HOOPP

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SickKids employees will hold a demonstration on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to demand access to the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP).

Despite providing exceptional care to children and families, SickKids employees are excluded from HOOPP—a comprehensive pension plan available to most hospital workers across the province.

Instead, SickKids staff – predominantly women and disproportionately racialized – say their ‘poverty-level pension plan’ jeopardizes their financial security in retirement.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Ontario Nurses’ Association, and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO), are coming together to fight for pension equity and fair treatment for all SickKids staff.

Who:	Leonora Foster, patient service aide at SickKids and president of CUPE 2816
	Tina Henderson, laboratory technologist at SickKids and president of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 5114 Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE) JP Hornick, president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) Erin Ariss, RN, Provincial President of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) Juanita Ford, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU)
What:	Rally for a decent pension plan by SickKids workers.
When:	11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 3
Where:	SickKids Hospital, 555 University Ave, Toronto.

Quotes
“Healthcare workers at SickKids dedicate their lives to providing extraordinary care under challenging conditions. Denying them access to the HOOPP pension plan is not just unfair— it’s a failure to recognize their vital contributions. A secure pension isn’t a luxury; it’s a basic right that ensures these workers can retire with dignity. It’s time for SickKids to do what’s right and participate in the same plan as virtually every other hospital in Ontario.” – Michael Hurley, president of OCHU/CUPE

“This is a very well-resourced, world-renowned pediatric hospital and there is absolutely no excuse for SickKids failing to contribute to the retirement security of the dedicated workers who provide such extraordinary care to vulnerable children. My message to SickKids is: be the kind of hospital you want the public to believe you are. Do the right thing for those who devote so much to their work and join HOOPP now.” – Erin Ariss, provincial president of ONA.

“A strong pension plan – one that can provide financial security in retirement – brings peace of mind to workers; but more than that, it brings protection for seniors. It strengthens their autonomy, their health, and their safety. SickKids’ decision not to join HOOP - and to refrain from contributing to their pension plan for 26 years in a row - is a clear indicator that they don’t value their workers or care about their quality of life in retirement. It’s time for SickKids to show workers the respect they deserve.” – JP Hornick, OPSEU/SEFPO president

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