Rally against Hospital Privatization: Kingston

Thousands of hospital workers in Kingston, represented by OPSEU/SEFPO, the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA), and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are going public with their fight against the Ford government’s plan to privatize hospital services.For 100 years, Ontario has built a system of local public hospitals that operate on a non-profit basis, in the public interest.  But the Ford PC government is steam-rolling ahead with Bill 60 to tear that down by opening three new private for-profit day hospitals, allowing the unlimited expansion of other for-profit clinics and shunting tens of millions in public funding to private clinics and hospitals.Hospital staff say this plan would devastate the services in most of Ontario’s public hospitals, including Kingston’s, and threaten public health care.Tuesday’s rally marks the first of several visible actions by frontline hospital staff in communities across Ontario coming in the next few months.Speeches will begin at 11:15 a.m. Speakers will include:

• Erica Benn, President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 4106
• Annette Saccon, President of ONA Local 99
• Barb Deroche, President of CUPE 1974