You can find a PDF version of this letter available for download on our website.

July 22, 2024

Dear OPSEU members working at Mackenzie Health,

I am writing to you as Provincial President of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA). As you may know, ONA represents 68,000 Registered Nurses (RNs) and health care professionals in the province, including the RNs working at Mackenzie Health.

I am aware that your bargaining unit is currently being raided by the National Organized Workers Union (NOWU). I understand that representatives of NOWU have told the OPSEU Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) that if they decertified from OPSEU that ONA would then organize the RPNs and NOWU would represent the remaining members of the OPSEU service bargaining unit.

I want to make it perfectly clear that ONA is strongly opposed to raiding and will not in any way support NOWU’s decertification attempt, nor are we in support of organizing members who have participated in a NOWU raid.

OPSEU has a long history of supporting hospital workers. ONA and OPSEU have worked together to support hospital workers in important campaigns such as the successful fight to overturn Bill 124 (wage restraint legislation) and we continue to fight together to protect public health services.

If there are any concerns or issues regarding the representation of RPNs (or any other service worker) then I strongly suggest that they be worked out internally with your OPSEU representatives.

The labour movement is stronger when unions work together for a common cause. I look forward to continuing our work with OPSEU both at the provincial level and on behalf of our respective memberships at Mackenize Health.

In solidarity,

Ontario Nurses’ Association
Erin Ariss, RN
Provincial President

You can find a PDF version of this letter available for download on our website.

July 22, 2024

Re: The Benefits of Staying with OPSEU / SEFPO, and Ontario’s Labour Movement

Greetings Hospital Support Workers,

In my capacity as President of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), which represents 54 unions, including OPSEU/SEFPO, and on behalf of the working people of Ontario, I want to take a few minutes to talk to you about what’s at stake with your union membership.

As members of the OPSEU/SEFPO, an affiliate of the OFL and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the first thing you need to know is this: when you’re with OPSEU / SEFPO, you’re a part of something bigger – the broader labour movement. In Ontario, that’s more than one million workers; across Canada, that’s more than three million workers.

As representatives of working people in Ontario, the OFL knows that so called “unions” like NOWU will promise you better, but they cannot deliver on their promises. The grass is never greener on the other side – especially when the other side doesn’t work with the rest of the labour movement, but against it.

Did you know for example, that switching to a group like NOWU will in fact weaken your bargaining power? Groups like NOWU will make you promises that they no intention on keeping. Solidarity and democracy are cornerstones of any upstanding labour union. If you join NOWU, your ability to democratically participate and direct your union, are also at stake.

Trust me when I tell you, I know times are hard right now. In my previous role as President of OSBCU – Ontario education workers, I took 55,000 members on an historic strike that resulted in big improvements in wages and working conditions. We were successful because we also had the support of the entire labour movement behind us.

There is massive strength in numbers, and now isn’t the time to look for unproven answers.

OPSEU/SEFPO was behind my members during our fight, and I can tell you that Ontario’s labour movement commits to fighting alongside you and OPSEU/SEFPO to improve your working conditions at Mackenzie Health. 

I strongly encourage you to stick with the OPSEU/SEFPO. Your membership in OPSEU/SEFPO gives you strength and stability, and the access to the solidarity that comes with remaining apart of the more than one million Ontario workers that are ready to fight for you, and alongside you. 

Learn more about your membership in the OFL and the work we do for working people like you at www.ofl.ca.

Stay Strong. Stay with the OPSEU/SEFPO.

Laura Walton
President
Ontario Federation of Labour  

You can find a PDF version of this letter available for download on our website.

July 20, 2024

Dear Members of Local 374 at Mackenzie Health,

My name is JP Hornick, I am reaching out to you as President of OPSEU/SEFPO to inform you that your Local President, Lila Elliston, has voluntarily resigned.

We will be working closely with staff to hold free and fair elections for the four vacated positions, including Local President. The elections will take place no later than 30 days from the date of this letter.
I understand that there have been frustrations at the Local level – and I hear you.

Hoping to address central concerns, and in the spirit of working towards the future you envision for your union, I have enclosed some important information below:

• Electronic votes: Some members have expressed concerns about electronic votes. We will conduct an in-person vote at both hospitals from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Candidates will be given the option to have scrutineers observe the voting and count of the vote. The election itself will be conducted by Head Office staff, who will take every measure to ensure fairness.
• Financial transparency: In 2021, your Local had $84,842.77. Your Local now has over $185,722.46. Over the last two years, your Local bank account has grown by over $100,000.

We expect a settlement of your new collective agreement within 6 months of its expiry, which will include concrete wage and benefit increases. If you vote for NOWU, it could take up to 18 months or more to get to a collective agreement. For a new NOWU group of employees at Humber, it took 2.5 years to get their agreements and any wage increases.

Should it take this long to get an agreement in place, your retroactive wages may be heavily taxed – a move to NOWU may reduce your hard-earned wage increases.

As recent history with NOWU raids of other unions has demonstrated – including SEIU and Teamsters – NOWU is a small, under-resourced union desperate for your money, who is more than willing to spend your dues raiding other unions rather than representing you in your workplace.

A better future is possible, and I am personally looking forward to working with you to achieve all the gains that you deserve.

In solidarity,

JP Hornick, President
OPSEU/SEFPO