Long-term care workers take direct action

A rally organized by angry workers at Kipling Acres Long-Term Care (LTC) Home took place on October 21st with the support of CUPE Local 79, demanding immediate action from the City of Toronto.

These workers have been trying for a long time to address ongoing issues such as harassment from management, chronic understaffing and a toxic work environment through internal processes such as grievances.

However, they have not seen any positive changes and endure worsening working conditions.

They decided to take direct action for the first time.

There are over 460 unfilled positions across the city’s Seniors Services and Long-Term Care division, which represents 12 percent of all long-term care positions.

Fully 70 percent of the workforce across all the positions in the city’s nursing homes are part-time.

At the 337-bed Kiping Acres facility, currently 32 positions are unfilled.

These conditions have led to both compromised care for residents and extreme stress for staff.

However, the City of Toronto continues to sit on a $15.4 million surplus in the Senior Services and Long-Term Care division, due to underspending on much-needed salaries and benefits.

In reality, all across the city workers have experienced similar issues due to chronic understaffing and inadequate compensation and benefits.

Solidarity on full display
As more workers joined the rally during their breaks and shift change, the rally became so loud and the attendees started dancing while the management watched on the other side.

Almost all TTC drivers that passed by honked in support and some high school students spontaneously joined the rally and the chanting. The public eagerly took information sheets.

There were hundreds of CUPE Local 79 members and other allies including from CUPW, IBEW, Toronto and York Region Labour Council, CUPE 4400, OCHU and TTC Riders, drawing the connections between struggles due to cuts to public services, the cost of living crisis and the privatization of public health care.

Change from below
It was very inspiring to see ordinary fed-up workers organizing a rally in front of their management. We need to do more of this kind of action – visible and loud – to make working conditions better.

A worker from another LTC home said that she would like to organize one  at her workplace, since they face the exact same issues.

It also sent a strong message to management that City workers are getting organized to take action in the lead up to negotiations when Local 79’s contract ends on December 31st.