Midwives call on the Minister of Health to implement mediator's recommendations as midwifery attrition reaches crisis level
TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2026 /CNW/ - The Association of Ontario Midwives is calling on the Ministry of Health to implement recommendations made by an independent third-party Mediator to treat midwives comparably to other health professions--or risk losing them.
In her report (PDF, 420 KB), the Mediator, Beverly Mathers, recommended that midwives receive similar redress provided to physicians, nurses and other public sector workers to make up for the province's unconstitutional compensation restraint legislation and policies, which capped compensation increases for public sector workers, including midwives, at 1% for three years during a period of high inflation.
The Mediator found that the Ministry's compensation practices have contributed to a recruitment and retention crisis in the midwifery profession. Midwives provide primary care to nearly 30 000 Ontario families every year, delivering care for roughly 20% of all births and newborns in the province. Midwifery care yields excellent clinical outcomes and high client satisfaction; yet one in seven midwives in Ontario is on leave from practice due to increasing burnout, growing numbers of midwives are leaving Ontario for other provinces, and not enough midwives are entering practice. Meanwhile, demand for midwifery services continues to rise. In 2023-24, over 6600 Ontarians were denied midwifery care due to a shortage of midwives.
According to the College of Midwives of Ontario, "Midwifery in Ontario is at a tipping point.... We are concerned that, without intervention, this trend will continue, and Ontarians will be without access to midwifery care."
The recruitment and retention crisis in midwifery is fueled by a combination of factors, including inequitable compensation. As the Mediator's report states, "While compensation alone will not resolve the crisis, the ministry can work with the AOM to correct the other drivers of recruitment and retention."
Midwives have been fighting for fair treatment, including fair and equitable compensation and labour rights, for decades. "Ontarians know the value of midwifery care, but government continually denies midwives these fundamental rights, and midwives are suffering from the effects," Elizabeth Brandeis, midwife and negotiator with the Association of Ontario Midwives.
The Mediator's report affirms the harms experienced by midwives, and states that "... there is no mathematical equation that puts Ontario's midwives anywhere but further behind economically" because of the Ministry's compensation restraints.
"Midwives are tired of being disrespected and devalued by government when demand for our services continues to grow. Midwives provide primary care that Ontarians want--a unique model of care that is not interchangeable with care from other providers in the system. And midwives would be able to contribute even more to the health system if their work was respected and valued by government," stated Brandeis.
The Mediator's report was tabled as part of a mediation process between the Ministry and the AOM, which involved extensive evidence and submissions. Like physicians and other primary care providers in the province, midwives provide an essential health-care service and as such cannot withdraw their services without seriously jeopardizing client health and safety. Pregnancy and childbirth are health care experiences that cannot be paused, rescheduled or put on a waitlist.
For years, midwives have called on the Ministry to refer contract disputes to binding arbitration, a dispute-resolution mechanism that other essential service providers in the province have access to--including physicians, nurses, police and fire fighters. However, to date, the Ministry has refused and is now rejecting the Mediator's independent recommendations. Midwives are calling on the Ministry of Health to implement the Mediator's report, resolve future contract disputes through binding arbitration and support midwives to continue to provide their highly sought-after care to Ontarians.
About the Association of Ontario Midwives:
The AOM, which represents Ontario's 1100 midwives, advances the clinical and professional practice of Indigenous and registered midwives in Ontario. Midwives serve more than 250 communities across the province. Since midwifery became a regulated health profession in 1994, more than 400 000 babies have been born under midwifery care.
SOURCE Association of Ontario Midwives
AOM will arrange interviews on request. Contact Jacqueline St Bernard Hitz. Digital Media & Communications Specialist, at [email protected] or 647-773-6760.
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