“No to Poverty Wages:” Cafeteria Workers at Montfort Hospital to Rally for Fair Compensation

The minimum wage workers at the hospital are distraught about the employer’s refusal to bargain a fair wage increase

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Minimum wage. No benefits. No pension. That’s the reality for the 20 cafeteria workers at Ottawa’s Montfort Hospital – purportedly one of the top employers in the region. In ongoing negotiations with CUPE 4721, the employer is insisting on maintaining status quo.

On Tuesday morning, the group of exasperated workers represented by CUPE 4721 will be joined for a rally outside the hospital by other staff, community allies and CUPE members across Ottawa, demanding a fair contract.

“The cafeteria workers diligently serve patients, their families, and visitors with compassion and care. They deserve fair compensation,” said Jennifer Carrière, president of CUPE 4721. “We simply want reasonable improvements in our contract that would help these workers get out of poverty and keep up with the cost of living in a very expensive city.”

Although the cafeteria is operated by Sante Montfort, the union points out that the organization is intertwined with the hospital. The two entities have the same CEO – Dominic Giroux – and share several directors on their respective boards.

Carrière highlighted the significant gap between the living wage in Ottawa ($22.80) and the employer’s wage offer for the majority of employees ($18.40), noting that workers were effectively relegated to poverty by an institution widely acknowledged as a leading hospital in Canada and a top employer in the region.

“I think if the hospital really cares about its reputation, it should ensure all workers employed at its premises receive fair compensation,” said Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE). “You can’t boast about being a top employer while you have poverty-wage workers serving people food in your cafeteria and then making their way to the food bank after their shifts. You can’t boast about caring for people’s health and well-being while having workers suffer the ill-effects of poverty due to their precarious employment. We won’t accept that. We are urging the employer to come back to the table with a fair wage offer.”

OCHU-CUPE represents 50,000 hospital staff in Ontario including the Montfort Hospital workers. The rally on Tuesday will begin at 11:30am.

What: CUPE 4721 rally for a fair contract at Montfort Hospital

When: Tuesday, March 18, at 11:30 a.m.

Where: Outside Montfort Hospital, 713 Montréal Rd, Ottawa, ON

Who: Hospital workers led by Jennifer Carrière, the president of CUPE 4721, plus community allies

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