Health care workers hold province-wide rallies, including outside St. Mary’s

Health care workers employed at hospitals across the province rallied Wednesday to demand respect and fairness in negotiations with the Ontario Hospital Association.

Today’s rallies in front of hospitals and health centres have been organized jointly by Unifor, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and SEIU Healthcare.

Unifor says it’s holding rallies in nine cities, including Belleville, Elliot Lake, Fergus, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Tillsonburg, Wawa, Windsor – and Kitchener.

Local Unifor Area Director Bill Gibson tells 570 NEWS the workers are fed up with not having a contract – and that’s why they took to the streets outside St. Mary’s Hospital.

“The spirit in the rally is one of incredible optimism, but still a great deal of frustration at this process. These people have been without a collective agreement since March of 2017.”

Gibson adds about 500 local members took turns staging the rally – all with the same goal in mind.

“That’s to bring the OHA to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair, collective agreement – one without concession and constant attacks on their wages and benefits.”

The unions represent 75,000 nurses, personal support workers, porters, administrative staff and dietary, cleaning and trades staff at 160 public hospitals in Ontario.

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