On Tuesday, January 30th, workers at the MyHealth Centre in Sudbury – members of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 668 – held an information picket to raise awareness about their bargaining demands. They were joined by OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick and MPPs France Gelinas and Jamie West.
The event was reported on by Sudbury.com.
“What we have are frontline health care workers, and we’re providing services throughout the pandemic. They’re making record profits and they’re not willing to invest back in the frontline workers. So, what they’re looking for is fairness and respect in real terms.” – OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick.
JP Hornick also emphasized that events like this are to help raise awareness amongst the public about working conditions in the public service and the impacts on the people who deliver those services:
“The good quality services are there, but some don’t realize the conditions that people are trying to operate under in order to provide those services. This is about ensuring that this employer knows that even though this is a small unit, all 180,000 members of OPSEU/SEFPO are watching what’s happening here.”
About MyHealth Centre workers and their fight
These workers provide diagnostic imaging services, including nuclear medicine, biopsy, ultrasound, mammography, and bone mineral density and X-ray services.
The clinic is the only unionized clinic out of 48 MyHealth locations in Ontario. Right now, workers at the clinic are bargaining for a decent contract. Currently, only half of the workers have a defined benefit pension plan. We are asking that the employer include all staff in the pension plan and provide wages that keep up with the cost of living.
MyHealth is owned by WELL Health, Canada’s largest outpatient medical clinic owner-operator. MyHealth clinics generate more than $100 million in profits per year. In 2023, the company saw a record year of patient visits and for-profit earnings.