Hamilton Health Sciences’ plan to eliminate 413 jobs would further undermine services at a hospital already buckling under the pressure of rising demand and insufficient staffing, says CUPE.
Jillian Watt, president of CUPE 7800, which represents approximately 4,750 HHS workers, called on the Ford government to fully cover the operational costs of running the hospital, which is facing a $150 million projected fiscal deficit for 2026-27.
The union leader noted that across the province, hospitals’ operational costs are rising more than 6% annually, while the Ford government has allocated a 3.3% funding increase for 2026-27.
“The government has an obligation to provide the people of Hamilton with quality health services that are accessible, timely, and safe,” Watt said. “These job cuts will result in pain and suffering in the form of longer wait times, overcrowded hospitals, an increase in toxicity and workplace violence, and unsafe conditions for patients and workers. The morale of the workforce, already very low from working so hard to deliver care to so many very ill patients, has been further eroded by this announcement”
Watt said the latest data from Health Ontario painted a dire picture of the current situation at HHS. Only 18% of ER patients at Hamilton General received admission within the 8-hour target time, with the average person waiting 24.1 hours.
She said staff were overwhelmed due to the rising demand and insufficient resources, resulting in poorer quality of care, and rising injury rates and violence – a problem that would only intensify with a further reduction in workers.
Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE), said the government’s funding plan for hospitals is cruel, as Ontario’s aging population requires complex health care services that can only be delivered through well-resourced and fully staffed facilities. He said the government has eroded services to the point that it is normalized to receive care in hallways on a stretcher in Hamilton and other major cities in Ontario.
“The Ford government promised to eliminate hallway health care,” he said. “But that promise was insincere. Hospital funding has been cut in real terms, year after year and in Hamilton hallway medicine is rampant and thousands are waiting for surgeries, many longer than the medically recommended time limits for their procedures. We intend to fight hard for more beds and staff and for timely access to quality acute care services for the citizens of Hamilton.”
The union has promised a strong campaign to fight these cuts in Hamilton with the goal of restoring the quality of hospital services and providing safe and timely care to all residents of the city. Among other actions, CUPE will be holding a rally October 13 at noon at the Hamilton General hospital site.
