Healthcare workers protested again in Stratford on Thursday.
A rally was held outside Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae’s office in response to what CUPE describes as the provincial government’s failure to address the hospital funding crisis.
Michael Hurley, President of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, said system pressures include wait times to get a bed, the closure of smaller ER facilities, people on stretchers and waiting for surgical procedures, and staff elimination have made the workers frustrated with the Ford Government.
“They promised to end hallway medicine, to clear the surgical waitlists, to correct the ER crisis and we don’t see any improvements, in fact what we see is things deteriorating and we can’t stand to watch it,” Hurley told MyStratfordNow.
Doug Allan, research representative with CUPE said there’s been a significant increase in wait times for most services, and in the time it takes to get care for hips and knees.
“This all has to do with a lack of capacity. We need things like staffing ratios to build that capacity back into our hospital system.”
Area VP for the council, and President of CUPE Local 4727, Treena Hollingworth, said as they experience cuts to funding, hospitals have to cut services and staff.
Workers want hospitals deficits paid off, for hospitals to be funded at the real cost (six per cent percent a year according to the Ontario Hospital Association), and a $3.2 billion investment to bring the bed and staff numbers up to eliminate waiting lists and get 2,000 people off hallway stretchers.
Just a week ago, Ontario Nurses Association Local 21 picketed outside Hillside Manor, a long-term care home.
Some 49 nursing homes across the province hosted information pickets on June 4.
Employees concerns include better wages, benefits and safer working conditions.
