MEDIA ADVISORY - Health-care unions propose five priority measures to turn around dire front-line staffing crisis, hospital closures: Media conference Friday, 11 a.m.

TORONTO, Aug. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), the Canadian Union of Public Employees and SEIU Healthcare will hold a media conference (virtual – ZOOM link below) on Friday, August 5, 2022, at 11 a.m. to urge the province to immediately implement five priority measures to deal with what is a now a dire staffing crisis. Recent data from Statistics Canada shows that there are 45,000 vacant health-care positions in Ontario.

The three unions have repeatedly offered the government dialogue and provided solutions (so far unheeded) to avoid a complete collapse of our hospital care. They say that for those working on the front lines of Ontario's hospitals it is "incomprehensible" why the Doug Ford government has no comprehensive plan to deal with the staffing crisis that's intensified to the point where hospital units and emergency rooms are closing. This is an untenable situation, leaving thousands of Ontario patients without needed care in their community.

Collectively, CUPE, ONA, SEIU Healthcare represent over 120,000 registered nurses, registered practical nurses, personal support workers, porters, cleaners, administrative and other hospital staff – a workforce who are more than 85% female.

WHO:      Cathryn Hoy, President Ontario Nurses' Association

                 Michael Hurley, President CUPE's Ontario Council of Hospital Unions

                 Sharleen Stewart, President SEIU Healthcare

WHAT:     Media conference – Health unions outline five priority measures to turn around Ontario's staff crisis

WHERE: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtdeGvqDsiE9G1WM41llXbf1wCtVD7sahs

WHEN:    Friday, August 5, 2022 – 11 a.m.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

Stella Yeadon, CUPE Communications, 416-559-9300, [email protected]; Sheree Bond, ONA Media Relations Officer, 416-986-8240, [email protected]; Corey Johnson, SEIU Healthcare Communications, 416-529-8909, [email protected]