Queensway Carleton Job Cuts Spark Health-Care Protest

Queensway Carleton Hospital employees rallied against significant staffing cuts on August 19 outside the west Ottawa facility. Off-duty health-care workers joined representatives of CUPE, ONA and OPSEU. The event was a protest rally rather than a strike.

The hospital plans to eliminate 101 positions, including 87 nursing jobs, seven housekeeping positions and four emergency-department patient-care aide roles. ONA says that, when other staffing changes are included, as many as 119 positions may be affected. ONA

The unions are calling for the cuts to be reversed and for increased provincial hospital funding. They warn that reducing staff could place greater pressure on remaining employees, contribute to burnout and further lengthen patient wait times.

Queensway Carleton’s emergency department is already under considerable strain. In June, only 17 per cent of patients requiring admission received a hospital bed within the provincial eight-hour target. The average wait reached 17.4 hours—one hour longer than in the previous month. The emergency department treats more than 80,000 patients annually and is among the busiest in Ontario. CUPE, Queensway Carleton Hospital

Hospital management attributes the decision to rising costs for medication, food, utilities, supplies and salaries. The administration says its phased restructuring will reduce the overall workforce by approximately one per cent and will not decrease the total number of patient-care hours.