September 25, 2020 D/BU #034/2020-2021

Ontario Health Coalition Day of Action on Long-Term Care Thursday, October 8, 11am

To: Presidents and All Members

From: Domenic Bellissimo, Associate General Secretary – Professional Services

For Action

Almost 2,000 residents and staff have died because of COVID-19 in 's long-term care homes in the last 5 1/2 months. Many died isolated, without enough care, without staff time for emotional support. Long-term care staff have had to fight for access to appropriate PPE and have worked in crisis-level staffing shortages that have only become worse during the pandemic. In , we have seen the highest levels of death in long-term care homes in the developed world.

Today, COVID-19 is spreading through long-term care homes in , particularly in for-profit homes, where after weeks of spreading infection, the homes have not had all residents and staff tested. There is evidence that there is no provincial plan put in place to save lives and protect residents and staff.

The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is calling for:  Immediate action by the Ford government to recruit and train staff, improve pay and working conditions and provide full-time work. Quebec and British Columbia governments have already done this. There is no excuse for further delay. The conditions of work are the conditions of care.  The Ford government to implement a minimum care standard of 4-hours of hands-on care per resident per day.  Both our federal and provincial governments to end for-profit long-term care, starting by making Revera public.

The OHC Day of Action will be held at Queen's Park on October 8 at 11:00am with local Health Coalitions organizing protests at local Conservative MPPs' offices or other locations (if there is no Conservative MPP).

OSSTF/FEESO is encouraging time-release leaders/officers and members who can attend, to join one of the rallies planned for October 8, 2020. Following the local public health rules, OHC will hold press conferences and car motorcades. Please call the numbers below or email if you can join in. Most people will be in their cars and the OHC is asking participants to make the protest visually appealing by affixing signs and decorating your car (safely) with messages about the

D/BU #034/2020-2021 — September 25, 2020 Page 2 need to improve long-term care and make it public. Please do call your local coalition and confirm you are coming out. More events are being organized every day. OHC will post updates to their webpage and Facebook.

Why a Day of Action? To create political pressure to expose the lack of action to improve care in long-term care and to push for an end to for-profit privatization of long-term care.

Other Locations to Date If you would like to organize an action in your area, following community safety guidelines and local Public Health rules, please contact Ontario Health Coalition at 416-441-2502 or [email protected] (with the subject line: DAY OF ACTION).

Chatham office, 111 Heritage Road Call Shirley (226) 402-2724

Hamilton Gore Park, King and James St. Call Janina (905) 545-5514

Kitchener/Waterloo Outside Conservative MPP ’s office, 4281 King St. E. Call Jim (519) 588-5841

Niagara Outside ’s office, 4961 King St. in Beamsville. Call Sue Hotte (905) 932-1646

Ottawa Events will be held outdoors

11:00 a.m. Carlingview Manor (a Revera home), 2330 Carling Avenue, Ottawa 12:00 p.m. West End Villa (an Extendicare home), 2179 Elmira Drive, Ottawa 1:00 p.m. Jeremy Roberts’ office, Conservative MPP, outside strip mall at 1580 Merivale Road (at Meadowlands Dr.) Call Mary Catherine (613) 899-5158 or Nancy at (613) 875-0474

Peterborough Outside Conservative MPP ’s office, 1123 Water St. Call Roy (705) 745-2446

Thunder Bay Outside Ontario government building, 189 Red River Road and Water St. Call Jules (807) 577-5946

Toronto Outside Queen’s Park, Grosvenor St., Wellesley Ave and Queen’s Park Circle. Call Megan (647) 549-3683 or the OHC office at (416) 441-2502

D/BU #034/2020-2021 — September 25, 2020 Page 3

Windsor Windsor, on the road outside Heron Terrace, 11550 McNorton Street Call Tracey (519) 995-0239

For more information please contact [email protected].

TM/wo cope 343 rvd