In late 2023, the Auditor General released a report with the recommendation to close six out of eleven Public Health Ontario (PHO) laboratory sites. These recommendations were made in the name of modernization and without regard for the threat these closures would pose to health infrastructure and resilience of smaller and rural communities.
Since these recommendations were announced, OPSEU/SEFPO PHO members have been fighting against these potential closures and advocating for the protection of public safety and the future of PHO laboratories.
That is why we are shocked to see that the Ministry of Health has confirmed they will make their decision on PHO’s modernization plan, that still includes six lab closures, in March 2027. Once the plan is finalized, implementation would be completed within the next 12 months.
The decision to move forward with these plans poses a direct risk to the job security of PHO workers and public health equity, as the six labs identified for closure are predominantly located in small and rural communities. These closures would put Ontarians at risk, undermining our ability to detect and prevent the spread of diseases and compromise our response to future health crises.
With flu season in full swing in Ontario and an ongoing measles outbreak, PHO labs are needed now more than ever. Now is not the time to shrink the capacity of our public health system, it is the time to make investments into our public health infrastructure to ensure the health and safety of all Ontarians.
We have been fighting this decision since the day the announcement was made – and we will bring this fight into 2026.
We will continue to inform PHO members as more information becomes available.
In Solidarity,
Casey McGuire
Bargaining Team Chair and Sector 19 PHO-Member at Large
Mary Carandang, Meaghan Kritsch, Sammil Hossain
Your AERC team