HHS eliminates 97 clerical positions, CUPE expects increased wait times

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) decision to cut 97 nurse and health-care aides from surgical units and operating rooms will delay care for about 30,000 people waiting for surgeries in the region.

Last week, HHS notified CUPE about the first wave of 413 staff cuts at the hospitals.

There were 97 eliminations of health-care workers across the hospital including surgical units and operating rooms.

“Due to staffing shortages there is a significant backlog of patients awaiting surgeries, including many who waiting for treatment beyond medically recommended timelines. Our operating rooms are already closed due to understaffing and for hip procedures. For example, HHS only meets 48 per cent of the wait time targets for hip surgeries,” says Jillian Watt, president of CUPE 7800.

As HHS serves about 2.3 million people in Ontario, the union estimates that about 30,000 people are awaiting surgeries in Hamilton and surrounding areas, with about 7,000 of them waiting beyond medically recommended timelines.

The union estimates that about 30,000 residents across Hamilton and neighbouring areas are currently on surgical waitlists, with around 7,000 delayed past medically recommended timelines, within HHS that serves 2.3 million Ontarians. 

Watt says although many surgical procedures are performed within a reasonable timeframe, there is clearly room for improvement that can be addressed through better funding, which would allow the hospital to employ additional staff and expand operating room hours.

“Sylvia Jones (the health minister) claims that staffing cuts won’t impact services. I would like the health minister to say that to the people who don’t receive an urgently required surgery on time because HHS had a staffing shortage,” Watt says.

The president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Unions, Michael Hurley, says these staffing eliminations are due to the government’s three per cent funding cut in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

“These staffing cuts are the direct result of the Ford government forcing HHS into a $150 million deficit through real funding cuts of three per cent last year and 2.7 per cent this year” he says. “Even before these cuts, wait times at HHS were long. Now they will be even longer. Our patients deserve timely, quality care and we will continue to fight hard for that for them.”

A town hall meeting has been scheduled by CUPE 7800 for Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. at the United Steelworkers Hall located at 1031 Barton St. E.

CUPE says members of the public are welcome to attend to discuss the impact of these cuts and participate in the effort for appropriate hospital funding.

WATCH MORE: Hundreds of health-care workers protest against planned HHS job cuts