Union states the clinic earns millions annually but underpays employees, with half lacking benefits
Workers from OPSEU Local 688 rallied on Larch Street in downtown Sudbury to garner support for their demands for pensions and fair wages.
This rally, reported by Sudbury.com, aimed to raise awareness about their bargaining process and the fight to secure pension benefits. OPSEU President JP Hornick, along with union steward Lisa Vander Veur-Vincent, led the event outside the main entrance of MyHealth Centre at 65 Larch Street.
The employees at this downtown clinic represent the only unionized group among MyHealth Centre’s 48 locations across Ontario. Hornick, who uses they/them pronouns, stated that about half of the staff currently have access to a defined benefit pension plan. The union's goal is to extend this pension plan to all employees.
“They're also looking for wages that keep up with inflation,” said Hornick. “What we have are frontline health care workers. They're making record profits and they're not willing to invest back in the frontline workers. So, what they're looking for is fairness and respect in real terms.”
Vander Veur-Vincent expressed concern that the company was not acknowledging the unchanged pension aspect of their bargaining. “We've never agreed or negotiated the pension out. They just aren't honoring it, and so, some are in and selectively, some are out,” she explained. The union is advocating for wages that align with the healthcare sector's averages.
Regarding the ongoing negotiations, Vander Veur-Vincent mentioned that they have reached a standstill and are likely heading to a conciliator in early February. “We're just letting the public know that we're holding firm and looking for support if it escalates into a labor dispute,” she added.
Hornick emphasized the significance of community awareness about the conditions under which these services are provided. “This is about ensuring that this employer knows that even though [local 688] is a small unit, all 180,000 members of OPSEU are watching what's happening here.”
The rally's main objective, as stated by Hornick, was to put MyHealth Centre, a subsidiary of WELL Health Technologies, on notice. "We're watching and it's time to do the right thing,” Hornick declared.
In an article by CTV News, union representatives pointed out that MyHealth generates more than $100m annually, yet many employees are inadequately compensated and about half lack benefits.
"These are the folks giving you mammography, bone density tests, nuclear medicine, X-rays, they do a gamut of services in Sudbury,” Hornick said in an article by CTV News.
“They want to make sure their wages can contribute to the community and that they can provide the good quality service people deserve.”
In addition to supporting the workers' rally, Hornick also made a presentation to the provincial budget committee. "We talked about directly investing in public services, public health care, public education," he said, challenging the government to align its actions with its promises.
"We want to challenge this government to put their money where their mouth is, an opportunity to make better choices."
