Here is what the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions has been doing to fight Bill 8.
- CUPE commissioned a legal opinion on Bill 8 from law firm Sack Goldblatt Mitchell. The union has sent copies to all locals. That legal opinion suggested that Bill 8 could be used to attack our wages, benefits and job security.
- OCHU’s executive met in early December and called an emergency all-presidents’ meeting in January.
- In mid-December OCHU President Michael Hurley met with the head of SEIU in Canada, who agreed to join the campaign.
- In early January OPSEU agreed to join the campaign.
- The CUPE hospital local presidents approved a campaign plan on Jan.15 which inlcludes emergency all-membership consultative meetings
- The all-membership consultative meetings involve 27,000 members at 100 worksites.
- To date, about half of total membership has participated in the meetings.
- OCHU has prepared materials, including a video, leaflets for our members and the public, copies of Bill 8 and the legal opinion and copies of the amendments we are seeking. These materials have been shipped to local unions, in english and french and are posted to this website as well as www.ochu.on.ca.
- CUPE lawyers have been negotiating with the province over amendments.
- CUPE’s public media campaign starts Monday, when the legislative hearings into Bill 8 begin.
- OCHU continues to try to get the word out and to get other unions on side.
- The legislation cannot be adopted before March 24, so OCHU members still have time to act.
- OCHU members looking for materials or seeking to get involved should contact their Regional Vice President.
- OCHU encourages members to:
- call your MPP about Bill 8 and to ask your family members to do so
- to join your local in the March 5 lobby of all Ontario MPPs