Media Advisory - Hospital Professionals to rally to sound the alarm on the recruitment and retention crisis as they begin bargaining

TORONTO, May 27, 2025 /CNW/ - Members of OPSEU/SEFPO's Hospital Professionals Division (HPD) members who work at hospitals around the province will be holding a bargaining support rally outside of the Toronto Centre Sheraton in downtown Toronto on Wednesday, May 28^th from 12-1pm. HPD members will be joined by fellow OPSEU/SEFPO leaders, members, fellow health care workers and community allies.

The rally is in support of the bargaining team as they sit down to negotiate their next collective agreement with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA).

Hospital professionals are calling for the OHA to enter bargaining ready to commit to the resources and funding needed to combat the recruitment and retention crisis hospitals across Ontario are currently facing for hundreds of job classifications of hospital professionals.

Solutions to recruitment and retention are urgently needed to avoid dangerous levels of understaffing and put an end to the increasing reliance on expensive private agency staffing.

Details of the rally are as follows:

When: Tuesday, May 28, 12-1PM EST
Where: 123 Queen Street West, Toronto Ontario, North Entrance Sheraton Centre Hotel
Who: Speakers will include JP Hornick, OPSEU/SEFPO President; Laurie Nancekivell, OPSEU/SEFPO First Vice-President/Treasurer; Sara Labelle, OPSEU/SEFPO Hospital Professionals Divisional Executive Chair; Hospital Professionals Division Bargaining Team; Laura Walton, Ontario Federation of Labour President; Erin Ariss, Ontario Nurses Association President; Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition; Tyler Downey, SEIU President; Michael Hurley, CUPE/OCHU President; and Fred Hahn, CUPE Ontario President.

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)

Media Contact: Samantha Webber- Gallagher, OPSEU/SEFPO Communications Officer, [email protected], 519-372-5776