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Ontario Health Coalition

Upcoming Meetings and Events

HOSPITAL EMERGENCY Online Town Hall Meetings

Our public hospitals are in an unprecedented crisis. The Ford government has done substantially nothing to help them. Instead they have funnelled millions into for-profit corporations to privatize our public hospital services.

Almost 100 Emergency Departments have had closures across Ontario. If the Ford government continues to ignore & downplay the staffing crisis — and use the crisis as an excuse to privatize – our community hospitals are at grave risk.

All across Ontario people have banded together for a century or more to build up our local public hospitals. We have volunteered, fundraised and donated from our pay cheques because these are vital services for our communities.  The Ford government’s plan would dismantle our local public hospitals, taking the profitable services out to for-profit corporations, robbing them of desperately needed staff and funding.

We must force the Ford government to address the crisis and take urgent action to support our local PUBLIC hospitals. We CAN do this, but everyone needs to help to make it happen.

We heard from – and were joined by – community organizations, labour leaders, and political leaders who represent more than two million Ontarians. There were hundreds of others on the call also: concerned Ontarians, people from all kinds of community groups, health professionals and others. We had twelve or more members of provincial parliament, eminent academics in the field and more than 20 local coalition chairs. They all expressed their commitment to fight Ford’s plans to dismantle and destroy our public hospitals. It was really inspiring. 

If you were not able to make it to the meeting, the recording is available here: https://youtu.be/vWgyL2B6lIc

Our public hospitals are not Ford’s to carve apart and sell to profit seeking corporations. We need to organize, mobilize and act. We will be holding town halls, protests and a giant province-wide referendum in communities across Ontario to save our public hospitals and stop Ford’s plans to cannibalize and privatize their services.

Immediately upcoming:

Town hall meetings in communities across Ontario. If your town is not on the list and you would like to help get one going, please email us at ohc@sympatico.ca

Online Town Hall Meetings via Zoom:

Thunder Bay Monday, February 13, 7 p.m.  Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlcuivqj8qHtzuhn9jR2D_Asdh69g6QvpO

Chatham-Kent Wednesday, February 15, 7 p.m. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwodeiprTksHdLOVMuIOV5yZF2x7Wy6c8lO

London Thursday, February 16, 7 p.m. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlcOmvpjsrG9d-tLoHuuBt95tLGdvVlyaF

Sarnia- Lambton Saturday, February 18, 10 a.m. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElcuuhqz8vGdTIzpyIDn2ZuY4K4FsDx1zk

Haliburton County Tuesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctd-2prTMrHdIEVqJ13f0acQ74TMEJfbW5

Guelph Wednesday, February 22, 6:30 p.m. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEudeCorD4uG91p7kDy0Vb-m3ukIjA-Ugra

Oakville-Halton Wednesday, February 22, at 7:00 p.m. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErdemgrzIqHdfv0XXeb8Q653kAiX7qvXb9

Cornwall Thursday, February 23, 7 p.m. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctcuCgrT0vE9R35bffuiuE3KxXKFJNHYR2

Peterborough Saturday, February 25, 10 a.m. (tentative)

Local Health Coalition Regular Planning Meetings 

Everyone is welcome to join regular local health coalition planning meetings, where discussions on local and provincial public health care take place. They are listed below for the next month. If your local coalition is holding a meeting or has a regular monthly meeting date, please email back with ATTN: SALAH in the subject line and let us know.

Monday February 13

Waterloo Region Health Coalition Online Meeting

7 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact Jim Stewart at waterlooregionhealthcoalition@gmail.com

Wednesday February 15

Kingston Health Coalition Online Meeting

7 pm, For more information and Zoom details: please contact the Kingston Health Coalition at kingstonhealthcoalition@gmail.com

Rally to Stop Ford’s Privatization of Health Care (organized by MPP Jessica Bell)

There’s a health care crisis in Ontario. By allowing the for-profit delivery of surgeries, Doug Ford is threatening to turn parts of our treasured universal public health care system into a for-profit business. A two-tiered health care system will leave millions of Ontarians behind. Access to health care shouldn’t depend on the size of your wallet. Ontarians deserve to access health care when they need it with their OHIP card, not their credit card. It’s time to show our support for more investment in public health care, not privatization and cuts.

Join Toronto Area NDP MPPs, United Steelworkers, Ontario Coalition of Hospitals United/CUPE, OPSEU, and more at a Rally to Stop Ford’s Privatization of Health Care.

Wednesday, February 22

5 pm, Hospital Row, College St & University Ave, Toronto

For more information, visit: www.jessicabellmpp.ca/healthcarerally

Welcome Back Rally (organized by the Ghost Gurney Project) at the Ontario Legislature

Join the Ghost Gurney Project as they host a “Welcome Back Party” the Ford government on Saturday, February 25 (11:00am – 1:00pm) – the weekend after the Ontario Legislature comes back into session. Individuals, unions and organizations big and small are all invited to the party! Join the rally as they stand up for Indigenous peoples, Health, Education, the Environment and Democracy. Among the speakers is our executive director Natalie Mehra.

Saturday February 25

11 am – 1 pm, Queen’s Park (Ontario Legislature), Toronto

For more information and to RSVP for the rally, click here: https://www.welcomebackdoug.com/

Welcome Back Rally (organized by the Ghost Gurney Project) at the Ontario Legislature

Join the Ghost Gurney Project as they host a “Welcome Back Party” the Ford government on Saturday, February 25 (11:00am – 1:00pm) – the weekend after the Ontario Legislature comes back into session. Individuals, unions and organizations big and small are all invited to the party! Join the rally as they stand up for Indigenous peoples, Health, Education, the Environment and Democracy. Among the speakers is our executive director Natalie Mehra.

Saturday February 25

11 am – 1 pm, Queen’s Park (Ontario Legislature), Toronto

For more information and to RSVP for the rally, click here: https://www.welcomebackdoug.com/

All-Out Shut Down Protest (organized by the Ontario Nurses’ Association)

All-Out Shut Down Protest outside the Sheraton Centre Toronto, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Bargaining will be taking place at the Sheraton and the Ontario Nurses’ Association is asking every member and ally to join them outside to show support!

Thursday March 2

12 pm – 2 pm, Sheraton Centre Toronto, Toronto

For more information, please contact ONA at: onamail@ona.org

Resources You Will Need:

• Main leaflet: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0SYm3eHDxx2tYPxKOCSmSeeR8jiuqPsUH76Uu3vv8tT2jOQ/viewform
• Survey to distribute or fill in yourself asking for information about whether you have been charged for needed medical care. It takes <10 mins and we are asking people to distribute it and fill it in at seniors’ clubs and meetings, community group meetings, union retirees’ meetings, among friends and families etc. : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0SYm3eHDxx2tYPxKOCSmSeeR8jiuqPsUH76Uu3vv8tT2jOQ/viewform
• Fact Sheet on Health Care Privatization– all the facts you need with links to sources: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/wp-content/uploads/updated-fact-sheet-on-privatization-of-hospitals.pdf
  

What You Can Do:

• Join your local coalition and get involved: Find your local coalition and how to contact them here: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/contact-us/head-office/ 

• If you do not have a local coalition near you and want to get involved, please email us at ohc@sympatico.ca. We will work with you and any other  people in your area who also want to  help create a local coalition.

• Start the conversations: Talk to your neighbours, coworkers, family and friends. Put up a leaflet at your workplace, community bulletin or place of worship or hand them out to your neighbours.  https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/wp-content/uploads/Public-Medicare-Defenders-Leaflet.pdf

• Take a Survey: If you have had to pay for services at a private clinic or know someone who has. Please fill out this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0SYm3eHDxx2tYPxKOCSmSeeR8jiuqPsUH76Uu3vv8tT2jOQ/viewform

• Sign up to become a Medicare Defender: Show Ford that he does not have a mandate to privatize our public hospitals. Show how massive the opposition is to privatization — really “profitization” —  of our hospitals and health care. Sign up at www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/#MedicareDefender

More to Come! 

The Ford government will be introducing legislation to facilitate their privatization plans (which are already underway) when the Legislature reconvenes, which is February 21. We will have to fight that. Then we will be building in every way possible towards a giant citizen-led referendum across the province. We will send an update with more details and additional resources, links and events. Thank you all, again, so very much. Together we are strong so we can win this, and we are so deeply grateful. 

We are proud of the difference we make and we hope you are too. This work is only made possible by people who care like you. Please do become a member or donate. It matters!

If you can, please CLICK HERE to donate or become a member.

Ontario Health Coalition

15 Gervais Drive, Suite 201

Toronto, ON M3C 1Y8

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www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca
416-441-2502

Retirees were receiving $700 to $1,500 per year from the Retiree Health Benefits Plan

Jonathan Migneault · CBC News · Posted: Aug 09, 2022 6:00 AM ET | Last Updated: August 9

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Laurentian University’s staff and faculty unions want to take some of the Sudbury, Ont., school’s directors and officers to court once it exits its insolvency proceedings.

The unions allege Laurentian mismanaged the Retiree Health Benefits Plan, which members have paid into since 1998.

When Laurentian filed for insolvency in February 2021, retirees were cut off from the annual payments they received through the plan.

Tom Fenske, president of the Laurentian University Staff Union, said his retired members received  $700 to $1,500 per year from the plan, depending on whether they paid into a single or family option.

“I think the idea is that when someone retires, they should be left alone,” Fenske said.

“And what that means is, you know, they gave at the office, they worked their whole career, they worked hard. And many of them are on fixed incomes, so they can’t adjust.”

The staff and faculty unions have said Laurentian placed the millions of dollars members paid into the plan into a single account, mixed in with other funds meant to operate the university.

Fenske said the money should have been placed in a separate account instead.

When Laurentian filed for insolvency, retirees could no longer access the money from that benefit plan, which they had relied on in the past.

Linda St-Pierre, chief steward of the Laurentian University Faculty Association, said in an email to CBC News that the university’s administration was “aware as far back as 2014 they were not properly maintaining the funds.”

St-Pierre said the faculty association tried to resolve issues with the benefit plan, including moving the money to a third-party plan, but those plans fell through.

“There was a lot of liability that they were trying to shift to employee groups,” she said.

St-Pierre said both unions will work together on legal action against the university’s senior administrators, responsible for the plan.

Leaving insolvency proceedings

Laurentian’s insolvency proceedings, under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), have protected it from lawsuits. Under the CCAA, the school has been allowed to operate while sorting out its financial issues.

But Fenske, of the staff union, said the university’s proposed plan of arrangement would let the unions take legal action.

The plan is the culmination of the 18-month CCAA proceedings, and represents the final terms between Laurentian and its many creditors.

Laurentian filed the plan with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last month, and got court approval for its creditors to vote on the proposal.

That vote will be held on Sept. 14 and will require a two-thirds majority to pass.

• Laurentian president to step down as university nears end of insolvency proceedings
• Laurentian University needs to hire more faculty members, says association

Fenske said he will meet with his members on Aug. 16 to discuss the plan of arrangement and see if there’s an appetite for legal action.

“The idea that people would be held accountable for what they did here, especially with pensioners’ retiree health benefits, that should be a priority,” he said.

“We are fully focused on readying for students’ return in September and the important vote on September 14 on the Plan of Arrangement,” Laurentian said in an email to CBC News.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/laurentian-court-action-benefits-1.6545099?cmp=rss&mc_cid=5bfe5be27a&mc_eid=c264498a65