TORONTO, April 19,
2024 /CNW/ - Unifor expects to achieve the wage
increases and benefit improvements awarded to Ontario OCHU-CUPE and
SEIU Healthcare members by Arbitrator William Kaplan in a recent
decision.
Unifor congratulates OCHU-CUPE and SEIU Healthcare on this award
as all three unions hold firm to their Solidarity Pact to
bargain collaboratively and plans to achieve a similar outcome for
Unifor health care workers in Ontario.
"Unifor health care members expect the same increases that have
been awarded to other unionized workers," said Unifor National
President Lana Payne. "Every person
in this province wants, and needs access to quality, public health
care. We can't do that without supporting the workers across the
system with respectable pay and working conditions."
Unifor's Northern Group, encompassing 15 acute care units from
Locals 229 and 1359 in Northern
Ontario, opened negotiations on February 13, 2024 and will be in mediation
on May 4. The bargaining committee is
bolstered by news of the 6% wage gains and other improvements
awarded to OCHU-CUPE and SEIU.
"These three influential health care unions are championing a
10-point Solidarity Pact, not as a symbol, but as a powerful
framework to save our public health care, starting with
improvements to worker pay," said Unifor Ontario Regional Director
Samia Hashi. "Canadians can no longer take public health care for
granted, or as a given. Publicly funded health care is under daily
direct attack and we will not allow it to be turned into yet
another of life's core necessities to be milked
for profit."
Learn more about Unifor's mission to restore public health care
in Ontario so it's great for
everyone at savehealthcare.ca.
Unifor is Canada's largest
union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every
major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working
people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in
Canada and abroad and strives to
create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor