CUPE, ONA and OPSEU to rally against 101 job cuts at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital in Ottawa, as provincial hospital funding cuts hit patient care

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Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by Business Wire CUPE, ONA and OPSEU to rally against 101 job cuts at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital in Ottawa, as provincial hospital funding cuts hit patient careAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.OTTAWA — In July, the Queensway-Carleton announced that it would be cutting 101 jobs at the hospital, including 87 nurses, seven housekeepers, and four emergency department personal care aides. The hospital is citing insufficient funding amidst rising costs of operations including drugs, salaries, and supplies.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountCUPE is joining forces with the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) and OPSEU to hold a rally on August 19 to demand that the hospital reverse the cuts. They are also calling on the provincial government to increase funding in the hospital sector to address heightened staffing and capacity issues.“Funding decisions made by our provincial government are directly responsible for the lack of beds, increased wait-times, and medical errors that arise when we don’t have enough workers to meet the needs of our communities,” said Hilder Langwa, patient care aide and president of CUPE 2875, representing nearly 1,000 workers at the Queensway Carleton hospital. She noted that safe staffing ratios are a central concern for Queensway-Carleton hospital workers.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“Our members are deeply concerned about what this means for them. Will the cuts continue?” Langwa added. “These layoffs won’t just impact the livelihoods of the dedicated nurses, patient care aides and housekeepers who have lost their jobs – it will also have a huge effect on the level of care that patients receive when they need it most.”The latest provincial data from June 2026 shows that only 17 per cent of emergency department patients at Queensway-Carleton were admitted within the eight-hour target time. The average wait-time in June was 17.4 hours, a whole hour longer than the previous month.Hospitals across the province face a worsening crisis due to the Ford government’s ongoing real cuts to hospital budgets and pivots to privatization, says the union.Deficits rose to $400 million at the end of 2025, and hospitals are cutting staff to balance their budgets. This includes over 1,300 layoffs in the past year alone, despite chronic understaffing and burnout amongst hospital workers.“Deliberate provincial underfunding has created the conditions for these major layoffs,” said Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE), which represents 46,000 health care workers across the province.“While cost pressures grew by over 6 per cent this year, hospital funding has only increased by 3 per cent – half of what is needed just to maintain the current level of services,” he said. “Hallway medicine will intensify, waits for surgeries will lengthen and care will be degraded by these cuts – all things that this government has promised to fix. We expect them to honour their promises to the people of Ontario.Health care workers at the Queensway-Carleton HospitalHilder Langwa, president of CUPE 2875Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE)John Jackson, Area 5, vice-president, OCHU-CUPEMPP Chandra Pasma, Ottawa West NepeanElisabeth Houlding, OPSEURally to stop the cuts at Queensway-Carleton12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026Queensway-Carleton Hospital, 3045 Baseline Road, OttawaView source version on businesswire.com: This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.