CUPE is Ontario’s hospital union. We represent over 40,000 workers in 120 hospitals across the province.

On July 7, 2020, the Solicitor General tabled Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (“Bill 195”). Bill 195 permits the government to continue to maintain and modify emergency orders made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) for at least a year after the end of the declared emergency, and possibly longer. At the same time, it removes important mechanisms for democratic accountability.

After months of putting themselves and their families at risk the Ontario Conservative Government is thanking health care workers by violating their constitutional rights and needlessly overriding the Collective Agreements bargained in good faith with hospitals and the Ontario Hospital Association.

How Bill 195 hurts you:

On July 7, 2020, the Solicitor General tabled Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (“Bill 195”). Bill 195 permits the government to continue to maintain and modify emergency orders made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) for at least a year after the end of the declared emergency, and possibly longer. At the same time, it removes important mechanisms for democratic accountability.

On Tuesday, the provincial government introduced legislation suspending many workplace protections for health care staff for a period of at least one year. The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/Canadian Union of Public Employees is in the process of securing a mandate from its hospital members to oppose the legislation in a meaningful way.

(TORONTO, ON) The Ford Conservatives’ proposed legislation extending emergency powers will give the province significant powers at the expense of front-line workers, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario.

(TORONTO, ON) With Toronto and Peel joining nearly all of Ontario in entering Stage 2 of reopening, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario calls for a new normal with a permanent front-line pay increase.

TORONTO, ON – Although they’ve provided therapies, tests and other key supports to patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of highly skilled hospital staff are still excluded from receiving Ontario’s $4/hour pandemic pay. In addition, none of the premium has flowed to the paycheques of staff the province has tapped as eligible.