Privatization of Healthcare in Ontario - Part 1

Privatization of Healthcare in Ontario – Part 1

Medicare is a publicly funded single-payer system that is a source of national pride in Canada. Proponents of privatization of healthcare believe that private healthcare should be allowed to operate alongside Canada’s publicly funded Medicare. Among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with publicly funded healthcare Canada is considered middle of the road with a 70% :30% public-private split of healthcare expenditures. It was not that long ago that virtually all Canadian medical care existed in the public sphere. Further privatization of Canada’s healthcare system will siphon talent and resources away from Canada’s already overstretched public health system. Many advocates of further privatization of healthcare argue that private healthcare should be allowed to operate alongside Canada’s public funded Medicare system.

Ontarians should be aware and concerned about the continuation of privatization of social and public services that the Ford government continues to impose on the public. The government continues to claim that privatization will save taxpayers money, although there is abundant evidence that privatization does not save money, and that it almost always results in a lower quality of service. Some examples of privatization by the current provincial government include the contracting out of the care co-ordination role for home care and the continuation of privatization of long-term care homes. The Ford government is currently in the process of privatizing 18,000 long-term care beds over the next thirty (30) years. They have also passed legislation to privatize the remaining parts of homecare. The Ford government has also expanded the private sector’s role in COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

On February 1, 2022, Christine Elliot the Minister of Health for the Province of Ontario while announcing the resumption of procedures and surgeries after the Omicron wave stated “we are opening up pediatric surgeries, cancer screenings, making sure that we can let Independent Health Facilities (IHF) operate private hospitals, all of those things are possible because we do have the capacity.” This means that the government is going to permit private clinics to operate private hospitals. Under current legislation for profit hospitals (private hospitals) have been prohibited since 1973. According to the Ontario Health Coalition this signals that the Ford government plans unprecedented for-profit privatization of health care which would be a mortal blow to the public health system.

In Ontario there are currently about eight hundred (800) Independent Health Facilities that primarily provide diagnostic services such as x-rays, ultrasounds and sleeping studies. About 25 IHF’s provide other services including surgeries such as cataract and plastic surgery, and dialysis. IHF’s provide these services at no charge to patients who are insured under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan) OHIP).

IHF’s are independently owned and operated, and 98% of them are for profit corporations. It is estimated that about half of them are owned by or controlled by physicians.

Expanding the privatization of health care leads to increases in staffing shortages driving skilled health care workers from public hospitals to private clinics.

Private hospitals\clinics take easier and less complex cases, leaving patients with more complex and serious conditions to wait longer for treatment in understaffed and underfunded public hospitals. Private hospitals\clinics also charge user fees and extra bill patients for medically necessary services.

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Statement from COPE President Annette Toth on Alberta government’s strike busting

October 29, 2025

Annette Toth, President of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), has released this statement in response to the Government of Alberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause to attack the rights of teachers and to end the teachers’ strike. COPE represents tens of thousands of union workers in both the public and private sector across Canada:

COPE strongly condemns the Government of Alberta and Premier Danielle Smith’s assault on the rights of the striking teachers in Alberta by invoking the notwithstanding clause to force teachers back to work.

No matter how the Government of Alberta attempts to frame it, this is nothing but an attack on the fundamental rights of teachers who are exercising their rights as workers and doing their part to defend public education and students in Alberta by asking the government to address critical issues that are affecting the educational experience, including class sizes and the need for student support.

By taking this action, the Government of Alberta is also showing they have little regard for workers’ rights in general and would be willing to use this method to attack workers and union members in any sector as they see ﬁt.

Our union, and our tens of thousands of members across the country, stands in solidarity with the teachers in Alberta, and with the Alberta Teachers’ Association, in their continued efforts to defend public education and workers’ rights in the face of a government that has shown little regard for either.

:kc

See original statement

TRUTH, RECONCILIATION AND UNIONS

Next week, Canadians observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day, an important step on the road to remaking colonial relationships with Indigenous peoples.

There's always the risk that putting the date in the calendar will be taken as a sign of mission accomplished, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

In fact, recent moves by the federal and Ontario governments seem to be moving us backward, not forward. Bill C-5 in the House of Commons and Bill 5 in Ontario undermine the constitutional obligation to consult First Nations on natural resource development proposals. Mark Carney, Doug Ford and their governments have disrespected Indigenous peoples and not treated them as equal partners.

The rush to cut, dig and mine wilderness areas — many of which are Treaty territory or subject to land claims — put unions in a difficult position. On the one hand, high-paying jobs for our members would be welcome at this economically uncertain time.

But what of our obligations to support truth and reconciliation? Unions have worked hard on internal equity and being allies of Indigenous peoples. But the words of our land acknowledgements will ring allow if we desert first peoples to sit with governments and corporations to advance their interests rather than those of Indigenous peoples.

On September 30, let us all — individuals and unions — be mindful of the crimes of the past, recommit ourselves to the hard work of reconciliation, and work with and not against the aspirations of Indigenous peoples.

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS' FIGHT OUR FIGHT

The federal labour board says the Air Canada flight attendants' strike is illegal, that once ordered back to work they have to go. Or else.

But which party is actually defying the law here?

The Supreme Court of Canada has consistently ruled that the ability to bargain a collective agreement and to strike to get one are constitutionally protected.

Great news for Toronto transit and COPE members

Finally, the news for which we've been waiting for so long.

The governments of Canada, Ontario and Toronto jointly announced today that the contract for new TTC subway trains will go to Alstom Transport Canada Inc. in Thunder Bay.

That is good news for members of COPE Local 81 who work at Alstom.

It is also a welcome development for Toronto transit — 55 of the six-car trains will replace aging Line 2 equipment. The other 15 are for the Yonge North and Scarborough subway extensions.

More good unions jobs, fewer transit delays because of equipment breakdowns.