Tag: COVID-19
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Uncovering the Truth: Our COVID Stories
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed longstanding inequities that have systematically challenged the physical, social, economic, and emotional health of racial and ethnic minorities and other equity-seeking groups that are bearing a disproportionate burden of COVID-19. Join OPSEU/SEFPO’s Equity Committees and Caucuses as they launch ‘Uncovering the Truth: Our COVID Stories’ – a series of…
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International Trans Day of Remembrance 2020
Friday, November 20th, Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), is an important day to remember those who have died as a result of transphobia-related violence worldwide, and draw attention to transphobia. TDoR originally began as a candlelit vigil to honour the death of trans woman Rita Hester, who was killed on November 28th, 1998. Her death…
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Our deepest condolences in death of TCDSB worker
On behalf of OPSEU/SEFPO, we wish to give our deepest condolences to family, friends, and colleagues of the child and youth worker with the Toronto Catholic District School Board who passed away Wednesday after contracting COVID-19. She was a member of CUPE who worked for many years at St. Francis De Sales School. Folks who…
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Profit: Long-term care’s long-term problem
Every week, I watch the death toll climb in long-term care. And every week, I watch in disbelief as our politicians act like all these tragedies are some kind of mystery. There’s nothing mysterious about it. But there is something very wrong: the willingness of some to put profits before people. As far as I’m…
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No dues collected on PSW and DSW pay increase
On October 1, 2020, the Ontario government announced a temporary wage increase for all Personal Support Workers (PSWs) and Direct Support Workers (DSWs). In recognition of the vital work our PSWs and DSWs are doing to support Ontarians through this pandemic, OPSEU/SEFPO’s leadership has decided that the union will not collect dues on this pay…
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Thomas in the Sun: Time for Trudeau to stop berating and start co-operating
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to stop berating provincial leaders and start co-operating with them, says OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas in a Toronto Sun op-ed published on Nov. 16. “Somebody’s got to tell the prime minister that nobody likes a nag, especially when he’s got a hand in creating the problems he’s nagging people…
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OPSEU/SEFPO urges long-term strategy for long term care
In a letter to Long Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton, OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas and Long Term Care Sector chair Joan Corradetti urge the province to expand on the recruitment program announced on Nov. 9. “We all know that long-term care is broken and suffering from extreme staffing shortages,” wrote Thomas and Corradetti. “At…
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Media covering Thomas’s call for police to look into LTC deaths
CP24 and The Toronto Sun are among the media outlets reporting on the calls from OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas for an OPP investigation into the high rates of COVID-19 deaths in privately owned long-term care homes. “Some level of law enforcement needs to do an investigation,” Thomas said in The Sun. “If you have…
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OPSEU/SEFPO President offers Premier front-line help on long-term care crisis
Toronto – Just hours after calling for an OPP investigation into the large and rising numbers of COVID-19 deaths occurring in private long-term care homes, OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is now offering the Premier his union’s help in preventing even more deaths. “It’s important to find and hold accountable those responsible for all these…
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OPSEU/SEFPO calls for OPP investigation into deaths at private long-term care homes
Toronto – OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is urging Premier Doug Ford to call on the OPP to investigate an inordinate and unacceptable number of deaths in provincial, private-for-profit long-term care homes, including the 29 COVID-19 deaths that recently occurred at Kennedy Lodge in east Toronto. “Maybe it will take someone going to jail to…
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OPSEU/SEFPO’s Submission to Ministry of Health: Strengthening hospitals to support Ontarians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
The following details a submission by OPSEU/SEFPO to the Minister of Health on strengthening public hospitals to support Ontarians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. OPSEU/SEFPO’s Hospital Professionals Division The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)/Le Syndicat des employés de la fonction publique de l’Ontario (SEFPO) represents 25,000 hospital professionals in more than 250 classifications…
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OPSEU/SEFPO’s Submission to Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission on behalf of Long-Term Care Home Inspectors
Our long-term care system is in crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic has made things worse. People are dying. Front-line long-term care home inspectors represented by OPSEU/SEFPO have raised alarms for years and know what needs to be done, but unfortunately their voices have not been heard. The findings in this submission have been gathered from…
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OPSEU/SEFPO’s Submission to Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission
Long-term care in Ontario is broken. People are dying. Residents of this province deserve and expect that the care they receive in their golden years will allow them to live with dignity and respect. We are seeing the opposite. Many of the reoccurring issues facing both long-term care employees and the sector have been exacerbated…
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OPSEU/SEFPO submission to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy – Bill 218, Supporting Ontario’s Recovery and Municipal Elections Act, 2020
OPSEU/SEFPO represents approximately 170,000 front-line public sector workers. We are deeply concerned about some of the provisions in Bill 218. We understand that many organizations have done their best to align with changing public health guidance as the science around COVID-19 develops and requires new measures, and that there has been mixed messaging from different jurisdictions…