Staff at the Midtown location of the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) in Kitchener organized an informational picket on Wednesday advocating for equal pay. Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) claimed that they are receiving $7 less per hour compared to non-unionized workers at the Queen’s Blvd. site, previously known as St. Mary’s General Hospital.
The picketers gathered in front of the hospital on King Street in Kitchener, displaying large flags, handmade signs, and noisemakers. Many passing drivers showed support by honking their horns. The rally commenced at 9 a.m. and concluded around 1 p.m. on the same day.
Trina Bueckert, a senior medical lab assistant at the Midtown facility, coordinated the rally to raise awareness about the wage gap issue. Bueckert highlighted that despite the merger of St. Mary’s and Midtown, the wage gap persisted, with the Queen’s Blvd. site receiving a cost of living increase post-merger while Midtown did not.
The affected Midtown staff include various positions such as lab technicians, with non-unionized employees at the Queen’s location awaiting a vote on potential union membership. Bueckert expressed concerns about the hospital’s actions potentially influencing the vote and causing tension between the two sites.
Sarah Labelle, the chair of the hospital professionals division at OPSEU, clarified that the rally was an “informational picket” and not a strike, emphasizing the employees’ right to peaceful demonstrations. WRHN responded to the union’s wage equality concerns by stating their commitment to establishing a fair pay framework for all staff post-merger, following the guidelines of the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act.
The hospital assured that they would collaboratively address the wage harmonization process with their union partners, adhering to the legislative framework governing mergers and restructuring in Ontario’s public sector.
