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News Story: Hospital workers hold rally

Monday, July 12, 2010

Published by the Brampton Guardian
July 12, 2010
Written by Peter Criscione
URL: http://www.bramptonguardian.com/news/article/846405--hospital-workers-hold-rally 

A few dozen unionized healthcare workers held a rally at Brampton Civic Hospital Monday to raise concerns about stalled contract negotiations with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA).

“We feel there is room for a negotiated settlement and we are here to send a clear message to the CEO of the Brampton Civic site to get the OHA back to the bargaining table to get a negotiated settlement,” said Marty Parker, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) spokesperson.

The SEIU, which represents about 17,000 hospital workers in Ontario, is set to recommence talks with the OHA this Friday.

Union officials have been in contract negotiations with the OHA since August 2009 but both sides have failed to reach a compromise.

An arbitrator will now weigh in on the matter.

Parker said workers are frustrated over several issues including the OHA’s proposal to freeze employee wages.
Workers asked for a 7.5 per cent wage increase over three years, similar to what other unions (the CAW and Canadian Union of Public Employees) have secured for their hospital workers.

The OHA, which represents 154 Ontario hospitals, won’t agree to a pay increase, however, stating this year’s provincial budget has made it clear hospitals have to look for ways to tighten the purse strings.

Ontario is slapping a two-year wage freeze on one million public sector workers.

The measure, announced as part of the provincial budget in January, is a key part of the government’s deficit-fighting plan.

With less cash being funneled to hospitals this year, the OHA has asked hospital workers to forego a pay hike for the time being.

But Parker called the move “an excuse” and stressed both sides began negotiations months before the provincial budget was handed down.

“They are giving one excuse after the another,” Parker said. “The wage demands are the same that the two other union groups representing hospital workers in the province got. There are two other union groups out there that got this wage increase and we believe the SEIU should get the same standard.”   

The SEIU has accused the OHA of being unwilling to negotiate workers’ contracts in good faith, yet it is prepared to pay hospital executives huge salaries.

OHA president Tom Closson hit back, stating “I am disappointed with the SEIU for criticizing the salaries and benefits paid to others while trying to negotiate wages that are dramatically higher than those recently agreed to by unions who represent comparable employees (CAW, CUPE).”  

The SEIU represents a small contingent of clerical workers at Brampton Civic.
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