Strike countdown begins for healthcare workers at ONE Fertility

BURLINGTON, ON, March 15, 2023 /CNW/ - Healthcare workers at ONE Fertility will be in a legal strike position as of March 29 at 12:01am. The healthcare workers who provide fertility treatments to people hoping to conceive, include andrologists, embryologists, sonographers, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians and laboratory technicians.

The 17 members of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 273 ONE Fertility have been in bargaining with their employer since June 2022. After many years of receiving wages that fall far below their industry counterparts, the members voted 100 per cent in favor of strike action should ONE Fertility not agree to decent wage increases.

"What ONE Fertility healthcare workers are asking for is not unreasonable. As Burlington fertility clinic workers, we are not worth less than our counterparts across the province. We are highly qualified healthcare workers who work hard to provide state-of-the-art fertility treatments to patients. We deserve to be paid fairly," said Shirlyne De Leon, bargaining team member.

The unionized fertility health workers, who are predominantly women, are being paid as much as $11 per hour less than their counterparts in other Ontario fertility clinics. For some of the workers, this pay inequity results in nearly $20,000 less per year.

"It is shameful that ONE Fertility, a profitable private fertility clinic, is expecting workers to accept wages that are significantly below what other clinics pay their staff. Like many workers in this province, these fertility health workers are standing together to say 'Enough is Enough!'" said JP Hornick, OPSEU/SEFPO President. "This is a fight for respect and for equity, and OPSEU/SEFPO Local 273 members at ONE Fertility will have the full support of our union every step of the way."

Mediation dates have been scheduled for the OPSEU/SEFPO Local 273 ONE Fertility bargaining team and ONE Fertility Burlington in advance of the March 29 strike deadline.

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)