CUPE calls on province to staff up hospitals immediately

On Monday in Greater Sudbury the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) which represents 120 staff at Health Sciences North and paramedics in the city called on the provincial government to take action on the health care staffing crisis.

Officials with the union said the provincial government has to staff up immediately with at least 120 new staff at the local regional hospital to deal with an influx of patients due to another COVID-19 wave this fall and the coming flu season.

CUPE is sounding alarm bells. They said the hospital’s current staff departure rates are unprecedented and unacceptable.

"Healthcare workers are leaving on mass which is creating unbearable workloads for the remaining people in the buildings,” said Dave Verch the vice president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Workers.

“We want the government to, you know, make staffing of these hospitals a priority invest in the workers inside those buildings. Provided supports for them mental health supports."

Verch said the provincial government should repeal Bill 124 because of what the union called its devastating and demoralizing impact on healthcare workers.

"Bill 124 has limited wages to one per cent per year for three years. Inflation running at eight per cent; healthcare workers who have struggled throughout this pandemic are looking at this year alone a pay cut of seven per cent,” added Verch.

“I think they see a real injustice in that especially given the lip service that this government has given calling us heroes."

Bryan Keith is the president of CUPE Local 4705 which represents 152 paramedics in Greater Sudbury. He told CTV News that as call volumes increase staffing levels have not.

"If you don't have the staffing at the hospital we have off load delays it means that paramedics actually need to stick around in order to actually get someone off an ambulance which means that medic and that ambulance is not on the road," said Keith.

The city which oversees paramedic services in Greater Sudbury says recruitment is currently underway with ten positions posted for part-time paramedics.

CUPE said since Jan. 1, 12 paramedics in Greater Sudbury have chosen to leave the profession. It comes at a time when EMS is dealing with a nine per cent increase in calls over the same time last year.