About 100 hospital workers in Windsor joined thousands of other health care employees in a province-wide rally to back contract demands.
It's part of a “Together for Respect” campaign by their unions – SEIU, Unifor and CUPE -- to demand better working conditions and compensation with the Ontario Hospital Association.
The local rally was held outside Windsor Regional Hospital's Ouellette campus on Wednesday afternoon. Nurses, personal support workers, administrative staff, as well as custodial employees are part of 75,000 workers at 160 public hospitals across Ontario who want a new contract.
Unifor Local 2458 Secretary Treasurer Tullio Diponti says this should be a concern to all residents.
“They see what's happening with the healthcare budgets,” says DiPonti. “It’s increased the paycheques for the CEO's and the rest of the administration.”
Union officials claim hospital staff have not had a contract negotiated freely for almost 10 years. The previous contract is over two years old.
Arbitration dates have been set for July, but DiPonti wants negotiations done beforehand.
“We want to see a fair collective agreement, fair wages for the workers at this hospital and we're tired of going to arbitration,” says DiPonti. “We want to sit down face to face.”
DiPonti adds about 600 workers are represented by the unions at both the Met and Ouellette campuses as well as Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare.
The employees continue to wear stickers that support their right to a fair contract and if progress isn't made soon, DiPonti says more action will be planned.
