Bargaining Priorities Adopted and Green Light to Talks with SEIU and Unifor re a Bargaining Alliance
200 delegates attended a bargaining priorities conference Nov. 3-5 and adopted these priorities: 1. Wages; 2. Job security, 3. Safe working conditions; 4. Benefits; 5. Premiums; 6.Vacations; 7. Job postings; 8. Paid medical/dental leave; 9. Bereavement leave; 10. Pension; 11. Education leave;12. WSIB; 13. Workloads.
Delegates also approved talks with SEIU and Unifor to discuss establishing a bargaining alliance. Together with OCHU-CUPE, the 3 unions represent 90,000 hospital nursing, support, service and clerical staff.
Bargaining with the Ontario Hospital Association will likely begin in the late spring of 2020.
Covid-19 is airborne: feds
The federal government quietly announced on Nov. 2 that they now believe that COVID-19 is transmitted through the air. Airborne viruses require a higher level of protection, including the N-95 mask and face shield. Read a story about the announcement.
Unions ask Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health to change guidance to reflect airborne transmission
OCHU-CUPE, SEIU and Unifor have written to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health asking him to revise the guidance for healthcare workers and update the protections we need in light of the federal announcement that COVID-19 is airborne.
OCHU GTA VP Calvin Campbell named to the board of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
OCHU GTA Vice-president and CUPE local 1156 President, Calvin Campbell has been named as Observer to the board of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). The appointment is for a 2 year term. Calvin has been an activist for 30 years.
A recent restructuring of representation at the plan led to the creation of 8 Observer positions (1 for each of CUPE, SEIU, ONA and OPSEU and 4 for the hospitals).
HOOPP has performed well considering that there is a recession in Ontario and Canada. Calvin will join the union team at HOOPP pushing for pension improvements.
We celebrate Medical Radiation Technologists week!
Medical radiation technologists (MRTs) work within four disciplines: radiological technology, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy or magnetic resonance imaging. They are the very image of care; the essential link between compassionate care and the most sophisticated imaging and therapeutic technologies, contributing their expertise to the diagnosis and treatment of millions of Canadians each year.
MRTs use their expert knowledge of imaging and/or radiation therapy equipment, together with an extensive understanding of the principles of anatomy, physiology and pathology, image acquisition, treatment and radiation protection to deliver quality care to their patients.
