Media Advisory: Frontline Workers Kick-off Series of 22 Political Protests to Restore Workplace Rights, Media Conference Monday 10:00 A.M.

The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE (OCHU) and CUPE Ontario are hosting 22 rallies across the province outside PC MPP offices, asking that the government revoke the COVID-19 emergency orders that can indefinitely override front line workers' most important workplace rights.

"Frontline staff have sacrificed a great deal to support the people of Ontario during COVID-19," says Michael Hurley, President of the OCHU/CUPE. "The government has declared the emergency over, yet it has stripped the most important workplace protections from this largely female workforce. For workers revered as heroines, losing the right to keep their shift schedule, to work in the same community, not to have their job eliminated without notice or their parental leaves cancelled is a terrible blow. We will mobilize until workers' rights are fully restored."

"This is an extraordinary, undemocratic, and unprecedented abuse of power. Front-line heroes ? who put themselves and their families at risk to help keep us safe and who continued to deliver critical services in a pandemic ? deserve better than unnecessary attacks on their legal rights," says Fred Hahn, CUPE Ontario President. "And we'll keep organizing and applying pressure in communities until emergency orders that impact our members' rights are fully revoked."

Michael Hurley, President of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) and Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario, will hold a media conference on Monday, August 17 at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom.

WHAT: Media conference to review political protests to restore workplace rights

WHEN: Monday, August 17, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

WHO: OCHU/CUPE President, Michael Hurley and CUPE Ontario President, Fred Hahn

WHERE: Zoom Conference Call

Media are asked to please register in advance for Monday's 10:00 a.m. media conference at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUqduiurDssEtTv_Smkf__HfWbAbHTLix0M.

After registering, media will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the media conference.

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