SickKids employees held a demonstration on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to demand access to the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). At the rally, workers signed a large four-feet tall Christmas card that affirmed their wish for a decent pension plan.
“Healthcare workers at SickKids dedicate their lives to providing extraordinary care under challenging conditions. Denying them access to the HOOPP pension plan is not just unfair— it’s a failure to recognize their vital contributions. A secure pension isn’t a luxury; it’s a basic right that ensures these workers can retire with dignity. It’s time for SickKids to do what’s right and participate in the same plan as virtually every other hospital in Ontario.” said, Michael Hurley, president of OCHU/CUPE.
SickKids employees are currently excluded from HOOPP—a comprehensive pension plan available to most hospital workers across the province.
Instead, SickKids staff – predominantly women and disproportionately racialized – say their ‘poverty-level pension plan’ jeopardizes their financial security in retirement.
“This is a very well-resourced, world-renowned pediatric hospital and there is absolutely no excuse for SickKids failing to contribute to the retirement security of the dedicated workers who provide such extraordinary care to vulnerable children. My message to SickKids is: be the kind of hospital you want the public to believe you are. Do the right thing for those who devote so much to their work and join HOOPP now.” said Erin Ariss, provincial president of ONA.
The rally was organized by CUPE, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, OPSEU, and supported by the Ontario Nurses’ Association, as the unions came together to fight for pension equity and fair treatment for all SickKids staff.
“A strong pension plan – one that can provide financial security in retirement – brings peace of mind to workers; but more than that, it brings protection for seniors. It strengthens their autonomy, their health, and their safety. SickKids’ decision not to join HOOP - and to refrain from contributing to their pension plan for 26 years in a row - is a clear indicator that they don’t value their workers or care about their quality of life in retirement. It’s time for SickKids to show workers the respect they deserve.” said JP Hornick, OPSEU president.