Category: Featured

Waiting times up to 45 hours to be visited at the hospitals in Ontario

TORONTO – In yesterday’s article, we wrote that during the month of September in Ontario the average waiting times for patients who arrive in the emergency room and need to be hospitalized reached 21.3 hours (data from Health Quality Ontario – HQO). If it seemed like a lot to you, when you read it, hold on tight: according to a report from Health Canada obtained by the liberal provincial parliamentarian Adil Shamji and released today, once patients are hospitalized, 90% of them have to wait another 45 hours to complete the visit. 

Government-CUPE, difficult negotiations coming up

TORONTO – Although non-teaching staff at Ontario schools have returned to work and negotiations have just resumed, the agreement between the government and CUPE remains a mirage. The parties seem to be still far apart on some key issues. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which has more than 50,000 members among the education support staff, says it will not accept a “two-tier offer” from the province: an uneven wage increase has been reported as part of the latest offer from the Ford government “We have been clear, an agreement will be made with a substantial lump sum increase – reads a statement released yesterday by the bargaining committee – such an offer would not be  up to what you workers need to ratify an agreement.” 

Chaos hospitals: more than 21 hours of waiting in the emergency room in Ontario and 17 in Alberta (with some exceptions)

TORONTO –  Yet another negative record for Ontario hospitals: the average waiting times for patients arriving in the emergency room and needing to be hospitalized reached 21.3 hours in September according to data collected by Health Quality Ontario (HQO ): a considerable increase compared to the already very long average waiting times recorded in August (20.7 hours) and July (20.8 hours). 

Health, united front of Canadian provincial ministers: “We need more money”

VANCOUVER – United front of the provincial and territorial ministries of Health to ask for more federal funding for Canadian health which, amidst staff shortages and a lack of family doctors, is literally on its knees. Today, on the second day of meetings in Vancouver, the holders of the provincial departments have renewed their requests from the federal counterpart: Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. 

Premier Ford softens the tone: “I want to stop fighting with education workers”

TORONTO – It may seem strange but Doug Ford seems to have laid down the hatchet. “We want an agreement that is fair to students, fair to parents, fair to taxpayers, and fair to workers, particularly low-income workers.” Abandoning the strong tones and swaggering attitude of a few days ago, an almost conciliatory Ford during today’s press conference said that when negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) resume, the government will present “a better offer”. The Ontario premier declined to provide specific details about the government’s proposal, but said the offer is particularly good for workers with the lowest wages.” 

Premier Ford offers to withdraw Bill 28, students go back to school tomorrow

TORONTO – Without even waiting for the decision of the Ontario Labour Relations Board to which it had turned to declare illegal the strike of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Ontario government has made a U-turn. Today, during a surprise press conference, Premier Ford announced the decision to revoke the controversial Keeping Students in Class Act “provided that the union agrees to end the strike and continue to negotiate”. 

China would have covertly funded eleven 2019 election candidates in Canada

TORONTO – Intelligence officials have warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that China has targeted Canada with a broad campaign of interference, which also includes funding a clandestine network of at least eleven federal candidates running for the 2019 election: the news was published today by Global News, with an article by investigative journalist Sam Cooper on the news agency’s website. 

School, Ontario Labour Board to rule on legality of strike

TORONTO – It is open war between the Government of Ontario and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). On Friday, the first day of the strike by the 55,000 union members employed in schools, thousands of people demonstrated outside Queen’s Park and the offices of Conservative Party provincial MPs. Schools in the province will still be closed tomorrow and, according to union leaders, will remain closed until a collective agreement is signed with the government. 

Homes in Toronto: prices stable, but the market is at a standstill

 

TORONTO – The average price of a home in Toronto has remained virtually unchanged over the past two months: the market seemed to be on standby, due to a sharp drop in new listings. In fact, the latest data from the Toronto Region Real Estate Board (TRREB) shows that the average sale price across all property types was $ 1,089,428 in October, up from $ 1,086,762 in September. Prices remain down 5.7% from the same period last year, while October is the third consecutive month with little or no change in TRREB’s benchmark index. 

Lecce: “Negotiations? Only if you call off the strike”

TORONTO – While the government goes ahead to pass the Keeping Students in Schools Act as soon as possible, Education Minister Lecce uses an iron fist with the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Any counter-offer proposed to the government must include the cancellation of the strike scheduled for Friday. “Take the threat off the table and let’s talk about it – said Lecce at a press conference – we were very clear. We are ready to negotiate with those who wish to do so as long as Friday’s strike is called off. We will not accept a strike, neither this Friday nor on any other day.”