Ford Government must Reverse Deadly Closures of Supervised Consumption Sites in Ontario
November 14, 2024
On August 20, 2024, the Ontario government announced new rules that will see the closure of 10 supervised harm-reduction sites. One of the affected locations is Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre where members of UFCW Local 175 are employed. See a previous post from August 21, 2024, for more information.
“This work is incredibly important to our members at Parkdale and their community,” said President Tosato. “They believe strongly in the life-saving care they provide daily to some of the most vulnerable and marginalized people in their city. These changes are going to have a big impact on the work of these front-line care givers and the people they serve.”
On November 13, 2024, UFCW Locals 175 & 633, together with CUPE Local 79, CUPE Ontario, ONA, OPSEU/SEFPO, and SEIU Healthcare, put out the following joint release and a letter signed by 16 Local Unions and organizations, including Locals 175 & 633, regarding the ongoing situation.
Save Our Sites or Fill Your Morgues: Unions Release Joint Letter Urging Ford Government to Reverse Deadly Closures of Supervised Consumption Sites in Ontario
TORONTO, ON – On Wednesday afternoon, provincial union leaders released a joint letter calling on Premier Ford and Minister Sylvia Jones to reverse course on the announced closures of supervised consumption sites (SCSs) across Ontario, as well as the prevention of any new SCS opening or existing services relocating.
The shared appeal is endorsed by unions and labour associations collectively representing over 1 million workers provincially. Signatories include the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL); Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA); the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU); the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OBSCU); the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO); CUPE Ontario including Library Workers and the Social Service Workers Coordinating Committee; OPSEU/SEFPO Locals 744 and 5115; UFCW Locals 175 & 633; and CUPE Locals 79, 5399, 4948, and 7797.
OFL President Laura Walton, OCHU President Michael Hurley, OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick, and CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn gathered at the Ontario Legislature to sound the alarm ahead of planned legislation that aims to shutter 10 out of 17 SCSs across the province. Should the Ford government’s decision carry forward, there will be no SCSs between Ottawa and Winnipeg, and no sites left north of Ottawa.
The provincial move to restrict access to care during a public health emergency has been rightfully criticized as a deadly policy decision, but the ramifications for workers across sectors have received no attention.
Unions say that SCS closures will lead to more 911 calls to our paramedics, firefighters, and police that could have been diverted; more patients and longer wait times in our overrun emergency departments; more overdoses at our job sites, public parks, community centres, and library bathrooms, where workers must regularly respond to critical health emergencies.
Workers call on the Ontario government “to do the sensible thing” – support and expand life-saving health services, rather than closing them.