Local 276 says Vickers has not spoken with striking workers once since May 25 when the strike began, even as he talks about “how important it is for us all to support local healthcare!” on his own social media.
Members of OPSEU Local 276 are entering their eighth week on the picket line, with no meeting yet granted by their own MPP and no resolution in sight from the provincial government.
Fifteen Owen Sound Family Health Team (OSFHT) staff remain off the job, with union representatives picketing daily at three rotating locations: outside MPP Paul Vickers’ constituency office, in front of Owen Sound City Hall, and on the Giche-name-wiikwedong Bridge. The strike, which began May 25 as part of OPSEU’s province-wide Worth Fighting For campaign, continues to affect an estimated 34,000 patients who rely on the Family Health Team’s allied health professionals.
Eight Weeks, No Meeting
According to members of OPSEU local 276, MPP Paul Vickers has not responded to their various requests for a meeting since the strike began. While the OSFHT’s executive director, as well as the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, have both met with or petitioned the province directly — this opportunity has not been extended to them.
The Ford government has framed this as a matter between workers and their employers. That framing is misleading. Community health teams operate within funding envelopes determined by the province. When those envelopes are underfunded, employers cannot offer competitive wages no matter how much goodwill they may bring.
“Telling workers to negotiate with their employer while withholding the funding to settle is like cutting someone’s water supply and telling them to take it up with their plumber,” said Skylar Wright, Registered Practical Nurse of Local 276. Amorei Sohl, a Registered Practical Nurse at OSFHT and member of Local 276 noted that, “OSFHT’s budget is set entirely by the Ministry of Health, meaning only the province can fund the wage increases workers are asking for. Right now, the province sets our wages at 15-30% below market rates.”
A Tense Visit to the Constituency Office
On June 17, three Local 276 members and a union staff representative visited Vickers’ constituency office to request a meeting. According to one member present, office staff turned off the lights shortly after their arrival, told the group no appointment would be granted, and said they needed to leave or police would be called. Police arrived within minutes, the interaction was peaceful, no charges or reports were filed, and the group left when asked. Later that same week, entrance to the Vickers office was guarded by two Legislative Protective Service officers from Queen’s Park who told members of Local 276 that they were prohibited from entering the building.
Members of OPSEU local 276 say characterizations of the group as threatening are hard to square with who is actually standing on the picket line: a workforce that is predominantly female, who picket in pink and purple shirts.
A Visible Gap
In the days since the strike began, Vickers has posted on social media promoting provincial hospital funding announcements and has attended events in support of Brighshores Health Systems, publicly stating “how important it is for us all to support local healthcare!” (https://www.facebook.com/paulvickersmpp). Rebecca Lambe, Registered Practical Nurse at OSFHT and strike captain for Local 276 noted that “the OSFHT is also a provincially funded health service — one that has gone without the same public attention or funding commitment from our MPP.”
What’s Next
Picketers are collecting signatures on a print petition at the picket line and are directing supporters to OPSEU’s letter-writing tools (https://worthfightingfor.ca/en/). They are asking residents to contact Vickers’ constituency office directly and press him to meet with the workers, and to also reach out to Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones and Premier Doug Ford.
Call to Action
– Call Vickers’ constituency office and ask him to meet with striking OSFHT workers. 519-371-2421 or 1-800-461-2664
– Write to Vickers, Minister Sylvia Jones, and Premier Ford using OPSEU’s letter-writing tool: https://worthfightingfor.ca/en/.
– Sign the petition at the picket line!
– Join the picket line at any of the three rotating locations — community members are welcome. We post our location daily on our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/people/OPSEU-L276-OSFHT
– Follow and share Local 276’s updates on social media to keep visibility up.
About OPSEU Local 276
OPSEU Local 276 represents front-line health care staff at the Owen Sound Family Health Team, delivering interprofessional primary care services to over 34,000 patients in Grey-Bruce alongside physician groups Owen Sound Medical Associates and Georgian Bay Practice Associates.
