COVID-19 Timeline

World Health Organization (WHO) declares a global pandemic.

SEIU Healthcare issues a joint letter with CUPE, OPSEU, and Unifor, calling on the Ontario Government to respect the precautionary principle.

Phone call between Minister Elliott (MOH), Dr. Williams (CMOH), and SEIU, ONA, Unifor, CUPE and OPSEU. They called for “an honest and frank collaboration with the government regarding guidelines for COVID-19 protection for healthcare workers”.

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Provincial government issues a declaration under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, declaring a province-wide emergency due to COVID-19.

Media Release: Lack of Personal Protective Equipment Putting Frontline Healthcare Workers and Public at Risk

Launches our PPE Letter Campaign to demand that the Provincial government provide appropriate PPE to all frontline workers.

Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health issues Directive #5 under section 77.7 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

SEIU, CUPE, OPSEU, and Unifor, urge the government to:

1. Include LTC facilities in Directive #5

2. Require more N95 masks/ PPE to be manufactured

3. Improve COVID-19 testing rate

Media Release: Families Face Difficult Decisions About Sending Elderly COVID-19 Patients to Hospital. Sharleen shared, “Doug Ford’s ‘iron ring’ was more like ‘a plastic mesh’ that’s around these facilities. It’s full of holes. It’s full of leaks.”

Extension of Emergency Order and implementation of Coronavirus Support and Protection Act.

SWAT teams deployed to LTC homes hit hardest by COVID-19.

Applications filed to OLRB Due to Failed Safety Protections for Healthcare Workers

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Canadian Armed Forces are deployed to assist with operations.

Media Release: SEIU Healthcare Secures Greater Protections for Workers and Transparency for Families from Order by Ontario Labour Relations Board

Government announces temporary pandemic pay bonus of $4.00 per hour plus an additional $250.00 lump sum payment.

Our response to the Pandemic Pay – we believe healthcare workers deserve more than a temporary pay increase.

The government should:
1. Revoke Bill 124
2. Provide an ongoing supply of PPE for every essential worker
3. Full-time jobs with benefits and a pension because one job is enough

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Canadian Armed Forces are deployed to the following Long-Term Care facilities:

Orchard Villa
Eatonville Care Centre
Sienna Altamont Care Community
Downsview LTC Nursing Home
Sienna Camilla Care Community
The Village of Humber Heights

Media Release: SEIU Healthcare Calls for Public Inquiry and Criminal Investigations into COVID-19 Related Deaths

1. Ford government to immediately commission a public inquiry.
2. Toronto and Peel Regional Police to initiate investigations for criminal negligence LTC homes.
3. The Office of the Chief Coroner to use their authorities to inquire into these deaths.

Emergency Order to take Control of LTC homes.

SEIU writes to Premier Doug Ford to demand that the Province take control of the following Long-Term Care homes:

Orchard Villa
Eatonville Care Centre
Sienna Altamont Care Community
Downsview LTC Nursing Home
Sienna Camilla Care Community
The Village of Humber Heights

Media Release: President Sharleen Stewart on Disturbing Revelations from Long-Term Care By The Canadian Armed Forces

“We welcome the report from our Canadian Armed Forces to blow the whistle on the disturbing conditions in Ontario’s long-term care homes.”

With over 8,000 signatures for SEIU pandemic pay petition, the government expanded the number of positions which are eligible for emergency pandemic pay.

Government takes over management of five (5) additional homes – Eatonville, Hawthorne Place, Altamont, Orchard Villa and Camilla Care Centre

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SEIU issues a letter to Premier Ford demanding that pandemic pay be extended to staff that are not currently eligible.

Read letter

Media Release: Councillor Matlow and SEIU Call for Public Inquiry and Transformational Change in Ontario’s LTC Homes

Media Release: Press Progress – For-Profit LTC Shareholders

Chartwell, Sienna, and Extendicare pay up to $59 million to shareholders.

Government passes Bill 195 – the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act.

The union explains why this bill will harm healthcare workers and how it can contribute to the pandemic spread.

Read more about Bill 195

SEIU, CUPE and Unifor launch the “Care Not Profits” campaign, calling for an end to private, for-profit long-term care.

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SEIU Healthcare message was heard, and the federal government made changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) system. The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) and The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) were introduced.

Unions representing healthcare workers across Ontario held a press conference urging immediate action to end the crisis in long-term care.

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SEIU, CUPE, OPSEU, ONA, and UNIFOR filed a lawsuit against the Ontario government. As a result, the government made important updates to Directive #5 for unregulated healthcare professionals working in long-term care and hospital sector.

Read about Directive #5

SEIU Healthcare sends a letter to the Ford government demanding vaccinations and pandemic pay for all healthcare workers.

Read the letter