Ontario can’t afford a healthcare system where the quality of care is determined by the depth of our pockets. On May 30th, thousands of trade unionists across the province gathered to send a powerful message that healthcare is not for-profit, with mass protests organized by the Ontario Health Coalition in Toronto, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Dryden, Ottawa, Cornwall, and North Bay.
While premier Ford has previously promised that Ontarians wouldn’t have to pay for care on our credit cards, his government is letting private clinics get away with charging Ontarians for health care — another mistruth in a long string of broken promises.
OPSEU/SEFPO members were proud to join thousands of workers in a march to the front steps of Queen’s Park to fight against privatization and for keeping healthcare public. To quote OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick’s remarks yesterday, “This is the fight of our life. We must save public health care!”
Workers are standing up against the relentless attempt to profitize Ontario: from home care to surgeries to labs, and to imaging and diagnostics. Ford can find $1 billion to fast-track expanding privatization of alcohol sales, yet rural hospitals and ERs are facing hour reductions, inpatient beds being removed, and even closure.
Our lives are not for profit and our futures are not for sale — and if necessary, workers will shut it down to protect public healthcare for generations to come.
