NEW REPORT ECHOES UNION'S DEMAND TO ONTARIO HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION: SAFE STAFFING NOW

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Oct. 24, 2025 /CNW/ - SEIU Healthcare, the union representing 68,000 healthcare workers in Ontario including more than 8,000 nurses, is calling for urgent action following the release of a new report by the Montreal Economic Institute (IEDM).

The report reveals a dramatic rise in nursing job vacancies across the country, from approximately 13,178 in 2018 to 41,716 in 2023, confirming what SEIU has long warned: our nursing workforce is not keeping pace with demand as the population ages and care needs intensify.

This report comes as SEIU Healthcare is at the bargaining table with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) negotiating a new contract that will impact tens of thousands of hospital workers. One of the union's key priorities in bargaining is safe staffing for all healthcare workers, a call that echoes the urgent findings of the IEDM report. The report cites CIHI data which shows that 6.4% of nurses declined to re-register to practise in 2024. Evidence from jurisdictions that have implemented safe staffing ratios shows an increase in nurses returning to the profession. 

"We need safe staffing in our hospitals, and the OHA needs to be part of the solution," said SEIU Healthcare President Tyler Downey. "Our members show up every day to deliver exceptional care under impossible conditions. The OHA must finally recognize that safe staffing isn't a bargaining slogan, it's the foundation of quality care and strong hospitals. When workers have the support they need, patients benefit too."

SEIU Healthcare nurses continue to report unsafe staffing levels, an increase in workplace violence, and deteriorating morale. The union has taken steps to increase qualified nurses in Ontario through the SEIU Healthcare Training Centre's Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Career Pathway Program, which is designed to break down the systemic barriers that IENs often face when entering the Canadian healthcare system. But to ensure safety for both workers and patients, the union says the OHA must do more to improve staffing in our hospitals.

"Nurses are burning out because our hospitals keep stretching them beyond safe limits," said SEIU Nurses President Sandi Jones. "Every vacancy that isn't filled means heavier workloads, longer wait times for patients to access care, and increased risk for both patients and staff. Nurses want to stay and provide the care their patients deserve, but without safe staffing commitments from the OHA, we're losing too many skilled professionals. Safe staffing saves lives, it's that simple."

SOURCE SEIU Healthcare

For media inquiries, contact: Corey Johnson, SEIU Healthcare, Director of Strategic Communications, 416-529-8909, [email protected]