Dear members,
We wanted to give you an update about HCCSS central bargaining, the majority petition, our media conference, and next steps.
As you know, over 30 members on the central bargaining committee met with the Employer last week. The employer’s wage proposal was insulting. Your representatives stood strong at the bargaining table and presented the petition to the employer in response. The central bargaining committee stood strong because together we have been organizing, planning and acting: in just the last two months HCCSS locals have held a media conference in front of the Ontario Legislature, organized a petition calling on the government to negotiate a fair increase and protested outside of the Treasury Board’s office when the Employer offered us a terrible wage increase.
The HCCSS Media Conference
On Tuesday, January 16th HCCSS members held a media conference on the grounds of Queens Park right in front of the Ontario Legislature. Unit Vice President for Mississauga Halton HCCSS CUPE Local 966 Maxine Laing and HCCSS Representative for CUPE’s Health Care Workers Coordinating Committee Brett Geneau both spoke about the value of the services members deliver, how our members are struggling to get by and how important it is that the government negotiate a fair and equitable wage increase. CUPE Ontario Secretary Treasurer Yolanda McLean joined us at the podium and provided her support.
We brought four big boards that included the 1700 petition signatures and presented them to two Ontario NDP MPPs, Jill Andrews and Jessica Bell, who will present the signatures to the Ontario Legislature when they are back in session this month.
The media conference was picked up by Global News and Radio Canada. Click here to watch Brett’s interview with Global News Toronto.
HCCSS Majority Petition
In just over a month, over 1700 people from across Ontario signed a petition for a fair wage increase. This means over 1700 emails were sent directly to Premier Doug Ford, President of the Ontario Treasury Board Caroline Mulroney, local MPPs, and Ontario Health President and CEO Matthew Anderson with our targeted messaging. That’s a lot of emails!
Over 52 percent of members working in HCCSS signed the petition, but one Local went above and beyond: Local 101 organized 89 percent of their membership to sign. This Local achieved the highest participation from among our 8 bargaining units by phone banking, sending text blasts, and connecting with their members all through December and January.
Local 101 Unit Chair for HCCSS members Joanne Turnbull said she was “relentless” in contacting her members and explaining the importance of signing and sharing the petition. “Members at our Local’s town hall really understood the significance and were engaged” Joanne said.
She spent “days on end providing a consistent amount of communication and everyone quickly jumped on board.”
We want to recognize that 52 percent of the overall membership of Locals working in HCCSS is something to be proud of. This is just the beginning: we’re getting organized, gaining strength, and putting pressure on the Ford Government to offer us a fair and equitable wage increase!
Protest at the Treasury Board
Last week over 30 members drove across the province and prepared to bargain, but instead members were offered the same insulting wage increase that was offered in December. The central bargaining committee was disappointed and angry.
So instead of heading home with nothing, we decided to make something out of it.
On Thursday, we walked over to the Treasury Board’s office in downtown Toronto and protested for two hours. We brought signs, we chanted, and we brought attention to home care in Ontario.
Global News covered us again and interviewed Brett Geneau a second time.
The segment was the main feature on Global Toronto’s 12pm news that day. The press release for the protest was published in the Financial Post, Yahoo News, and Morning Star.
Next Steps
Right now, we don’t have future bargaining dates scheduled for the wage reopener. The employer has stated that the Treasury Board is signaling that they could change and improve their offer – they ‘ve said it could take months. Stay tuned for next steps in our wage-reopener campaign. Our goal is to put maximum pressure on the Ford government to negotiate fair wage increases for HCCSS workers. Workers cannot wait any longer.
The Employer has told members that the changeover date from HCCSS to SSO (Shared Service Organization) will be June 28. We will keep you updated if we hear any information related to this. We’re also planning to have a town hall meeting soon, so please be on the lookout for an email with details.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact a member of your Executive team.