65,000 Ontario hospital workers represented by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions – CUPE and SEIU Healthcare have a new contract.
They will see a 6% wage increase over the two-year deal along with benefits improvements. The unions say it’s the result of an intensive round of coordinated bargaining and almost identical, two-year arbitrated contracts.
“[Thursday’s] arbitration decision will lift the spirits of frontline hospital workers who are struggling with impossible workloads in a staff retention crisis,” says Michael Hurley, President, OCHU-CUPE. “Significant improvements to dental and other benefits, real wage increases, and substantial adjustments to premiums will all contribute to making these frontline hospital staff feel valued and help them to better cope with the cost-of-living crisis that all working people are facing.”
Hurley adds they regret that they were unable to advance towards nurse-to-patient ratios in the agreement.
A variety of healthcare workers are covered by the new contract, including Personal Support Workers, Registered Practical Nurses, pharmacy and X-ray technicians, and more.