-

Widespread Turmoil, Uncertainty, Survey of 1052 Ontario Health atHome Care Coordinators and System Planning Staff Finds: Does a Distracted Doug Ford Care That His Health System Restructuring Is Failing?

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recent health system restructuring by the Doug Ford government has resulted in chaos, supply chain problems, plummeting staff morale, and widespread job security concerns. Now, a survey (being released tomorrow) of 1052 Ontario Health at Home care coordinators, planners and team assistants, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the uncertainty and workplace challenges impacting them and Ontarians’ access to home and community care.

The survey points to a health system restructuring that is failing to solve care and access gaps while demoralizing health staff and threatening to deepen privatization even more.

With the sceptre of U.S. tariffs looming and an early provincial election imminent is a distracted Doug Ford missing the instability and uncertainty that years of health system restructuring has brought.

Ontario is now on our fifth home care restructuring since the last PC government privatized home care. None of these attempts have ended the basic problems that come with compulsory contracting out: low wages, bad working conditions, high staff turnover, and staffing shortages. This latest restructuring is creating even more problems.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) represents more than 1700 Ontario Health atHome staff working at “restructured” regional home and community care health networks. Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10:30 a.m., at the Queen’s Park Media studio, three of them from different areas of the province, will share respondents’ frank comments and present the findings of the survey - the first of its kind – of these Ontario health care workers.

WHO:

Ontario Health atHome staff: Brett Geneau (eastern Ontario), Maxine Laing (Mississauga/Halton), Lorna Shipley (Central East)

WHAT:

Release of groundbreaking survey of 1052 Ontario Health atHome staff

WHERE:

Queen’s Park Studio

WHEN:

Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 10:30 a.m.

SY: pp/cope491

Contacts

For more information contact:
Stella Yeadon
CUPE Communications
416-559-9300
syeadon@cupe.ca

Industry:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Release Versions
English

Contacts

For more information contact:
Stella Yeadon
CUPE Communications
416-559-9300
syeadon@cupe.ca

More News From Canadian Union of Public Employees

Inverness Long Term Care Workers Vote to Strike

INVERNESS, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Long term care workers at Inverary Manor, represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 1485, voted 100% in favour of a strike mandate last week. “We’ve reached a breaking point,” admitted CUPE 1485 President Ashton Brown, “and that can be seen across the province. Long term care workers are overworked and underpaid and when we ask for help, or for recognition of the vital work we do, the government’s response is to offer us almost nothing at the barga...

My Cape Breton Home Senior Care Workers Vote to Strike

SYDNEY, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yet another Sydney long term care home, My Cape Breton Home for Seniors, represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 5137, voted 98% in favour of a strike mandate last week, citing low wages and recruitment and retention issues. “We took this vote to send a message: we’re ready to fight for what we deserve,” said CUPE 5137 President Bernice Miles. “No one wants to go on strike, we want to keep working and caring for our residents to the best of our abil...

MacGillivray Guest Home Workers Vote to Strike

SYDNEY, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Long term care workers from MacGillivray Guest Home in Sydney, represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 1562, voted 98% in favour of a strike mandate. “The long term care sector has been struggling for a long time, and this isn’t the first time we, as workers, have raised the alarm. Even just in Cape Breton, any long term care worker will tell you that their home is understaffed, that they’re finding it hard to make ends meet on the wages provided, o...
Back to Newsroom