Latest news with #Hornick
Business Upturn
7 days ago
- General
- Business Upturn
Bill 33 attacks local democracy, public education and Ontario's most vulnerable kids
Toronto, ON, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Last week, the Ontario government introduced Bill 33, a sweeping piece of legislation that hands more control over education to the premier's office at the direct expense of school boards, post-secondary institutions, and the communities that depend on them. 'Bill 33 is a power grab, and a dangerous one,' said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick. 'This government is using isolated examples of financial mismanagement to justify sweeping changes to multiple levels of our public education system, instead of addressing the real issue—underfunding.' If passed, Bill 33 would: make it easier for the province to take control of democratically elected local school boards; mandate School Resource Officers (i.e., police) in schools (even though such programs have previously been ended for their discriminatory and harmful impacts and do not offer the solutions needed to address increasing violence in schools); regulate which fees post-secondary students can pay (opening the door to defunding crucial student supports); and threaten access to education with new admissions policies at the province's colleges and universities, among other measures. 'These moves represent an unwarranted expansion of provincial authority. Instead of fixing the funding crisis it created, the Ford government is seizing control and calling it reform,' said Hornick. 'Our colleges, our schools, and our students deserve better.' Public educational institutions are meant to be built on equitable access and student success, but Bill 33 will undercut these principles while failing to address the systemic issues that face Ontario's education system. 'The mandated placement of SROs outlined in this bill does nothing to support the students and staff that are dealing with unprecedented levels of violence in Ontario schools,' said Kelly Martin, President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 330, representing workers at Simcoe County District School Board. 'We need solutions that give children access to the wrap around supports that they need to thrive – like more education workers, smaller class sizes, increased mental health supports and special education supports that meet the needs of students.' 'It is unconscionable that this government is considering mandating police in schools when the Ontario Human Rights Commission and mountains of evidence have already found that a police presence not only introduces unnecessary surveillance but also significantly impacts the mental health and education of Indigenous, black and racialized kids,' said Hornick. The legislation reaches into post-secondary education as well. Requiring colleges and universities to adopt rigid and restrictive admissions policies – defined by the province – ignores decades of work done to widen access for underrepresented groups. Stripping away access-focused admissions pathways threatens the socio-economic mobility of entire communities. 'They want to surveil and criminalize our kids from a young age and then make it even harder to access post-secondary education later on in their academic careers. Ontario's future depends on an inclusive education system, not one that intentionally keeps people out,' said Hornick. The province's colleges system is already in crisis, receiving the lowest level of provincial funding per student in the country. Bill 33 threatens to further destabilize campuses by adding more ministerial oversight over ancillary fees that fund student-led services like mental health supports, food banks, and student career services. 'This legislation would not only strip students of their ability to democratically decide which of these services matter to them,' said Hornick. 'It is clearly intended to defund these services in our colleges.' Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Bill 33 attacks local democracy, public education and Ontario's most vulnerable kids
Toronto, ON, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Last week, the Ontario government introduced Bill 33, a sweeping piece of legislation that hands more control over education to the premier's office at the direct expense of school boards, post-secondary institutions, and the communities that depend on them. 'Bill 33 is a power grab, and a dangerous one,' said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick. 'This government is using isolated examples of financial mismanagement to justify sweeping changes to multiple levels of our public education system, instead of addressing the real issue—underfunding.' If passed, Bill 33 would: make it easier for the province to take control of democratically elected local school boards; mandate School Resource Officers (i.e., police) in schools (even though such programs have previously been ended for their discriminatory and harmful impacts and do not offer the solutions needed to address increasing violence in schools); regulate which fees post-secondary students can pay (opening the door to defunding crucial student supports); and threaten access to education with new admissions policies at the province's colleges and universities, among other measures. 'These moves represent an unwarranted expansion of provincial authority. Instead of fixing the funding crisis it created, the Ford government is seizing control and calling it reform,' said Hornick. 'Our colleges, our schools, and our students deserve better.' Public educational institutions are meant to be built on equitable access and student success, but Bill 33 will undercut these principles while failing to address the systemic issues that face Ontario's education system. 'The mandated placement of SROs outlined in this bill does nothing to support the students and staff that are dealing with unprecedented levels of violence in Ontario schools,' said Kelly Martin, President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 330, representing workers at Simcoe County District School Board. 'We need solutions that give children access to the wrap around supports that they need to thrive – like more education workers, smaller class sizes, increased mental health supports and special education supports that meet the needs of students.' 'It is unconscionable that this government is considering mandating police in schools when the Ontario Human Rights Commission and mountains of evidence have already found that a police presence not only introduces unnecessary surveillance but also significantly impacts the mental health and education of Indigenous, black and racialized kids,' said Hornick. The legislation reaches into post-secondary education as well. Requiring colleges and universities to adopt rigid and restrictive admissions policies - defined by the province - ignores decades of work done to widen access for underrepresented groups. Stripping away access-focused admissions pathways threatens the socio-economic mobility of entire communities. 'They want to surveil and criminalize our kids from a young age and then make it even harder to access post-secondary education later on in their academic careers. Ontario's future depends on an inclusive education system, not one that intentionally keeps people out,' said Hornick. The province's colleges system is already in crisis, receiving the lowest level of provincial funding per student in the country. Bill 33 threatens to further destabilize campuses by adding more ministerial oversight over ancillary fees that fund student-led services like mental health supports, food banks, and student career services. 'This legislation would not only strip students of their ability to democratically decide which of these services matter to them,' said Hornick. 'It is clearly intended to defund these services in our colleges.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bill 33 attacks local democracy, public education and Ontario's most vulnerable kids
Toronto, ON, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Last week, the Ontario government introduced Bill 33, a sweeping piece of legislation that hands more control over education to the premier's office at the direct expense of school boards, post-secondary institutions, and the communities that depend on them. 'Bill 33 is a power grab, and a dangerous one,' said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick. 'This government is using isolated examples of financial mismanagement to justify sweeping changes to multiple levels of our public education system, instead of addressing the real issue—underfunding.' If passed, Bill 33 would: make it easier for the province to take control of democratically elected local school boards; mandate School Resource Officers (i.e., police) in schools (even though such programs have previously been ended for their discriminatory and harmful impacts and do not offer the solutions needed to address increasing violence in schools); regulate which fees post-secondary students can pay (opening the door to defunding crucial student supports); and threaten access to education with new admissions policies at the province's colleges and universities, among other measures. 'These moves represent an unwarranted expansion of provincial authority. Instead of fixing the funding crisis it created, the Ford government is seizing control and calling it reform,' said Hornick. 'Our colleges, our schools, and our students deserve better.' Public educational institutions are meant to be built on equitable access and student success, but Bill 33 will undercut these principles while failing to address the systemic issues that face Ontario's education system. 'The mandated placement of SROs outlined in this bill does nothing to support the students and staff that are dealing with unprecedented levels of violence in Ontario schools,' said Kelly Martin, President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 330, representing workers at Simcoe County District School Board. 'We need solutions that give children access to the wrap around supports that they need to thrive – like more education workers, smaller class sizes, increased mental health supports and special education supports that meet the needs of students.' 'It is unconscionable that this government is considering mandating police in schools when the Ontario Human Rights Commission and mountains of evidence have already found that a police presence not only introduces unnecessary surveillance but also significantly impacts the mental health and education of Indigenous, black and racialized kids,' said Hornick. The legislation reaches into post-secondary education as well. Requiring colleges and universities to adopt rigid and restrictive admissions policies - defined by the province - ignores decades of work done to widen access for underrepresented groups. Stripping away access-focused admissions pathways threatens the socio-economic mobility of entire communities. 'They want to surveil and criminalize our kids from a young age and then make it even harder to access post-secondary education later on in their academic careers. Ontario's future depends on an inclusive education system, not one that intentionally keeps people out,' said Hornick. The province's colleges system is already in crisis, receiving the lowest level of provincial funding per student in the country. Bill 33 threatens to further destabilize campuses by adding more ministerial oversight over ancillary fees that fund student-led services like mental health supports, food banks, and student career services. 'This legislation would not only strip students of their ability to democratically decide which of these services matter to them,' said Hornick. 'It is clearly intended to defund these services in our colleges.' CONTACT: Samantha Webber- Gallagher, OPSEU/SEFPO Communications Ontario Public Service Employees Union / Syndicat des employés de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (OPSEU/SEFPO) 519-372-5776 swebbergallagher@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Cision Canada
15-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Provincial budget misses the mark: as the economy slows, Ontario needs investment in public services now more than ever
TORONTO, May 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Ford government unveiled a provincial budget for 2025-26 which yet again laid bare their agenda to put investors and developers first—rather than Ontario families and communities and the public services they rely on. OPSEU/SEFPO, the union representing more than 200,000 workers in health care, education, social services, the LCBO, and the Ontario Public Service, says that in this moment, with tariff anxieties and day-to-day life getting harder and harder to afford, the key to economic sovereignty is strong and vibrant public services. "In this moment, we needed a budget that reflected the interests of working people," said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick. "We did not get that today." Right now, Ontario is facing massive funding shortfalls in education at all levels. It is consistently last in per-person health care spending among the provinces. Meanwhile, due to stagnant wages for workers throughout the public sector caused by chronic underfunding, community services and those who need them are struggling. In recent weeks, Ontario has seen sweeping cuts across the college system, which trains the skilled workforce that drives Ontario's economy. "The Ford government could have turned all of this around today. Instead, they're rolling out a budget that ignores the crises we're facing and takes us backwards," said Hornick. "Across the board, the program spending proposed in this budget will not even keep up with inflation and population growth." "Ontario was in trouble long before Trump's re-election, and Ontarians can tell when a crisis is being used to distract from policy failures." Ontario's unemployment rate has risen to 7.8 per cent - the second highest provincial unemployment rate in the country. "This budget does nothing to 'protect Ontario'. By refusing to adequately invest in public services, Ford is instead barreling towards Trump-style cuts to our public institutions and environmental protections. We'll be footing the bill for these cuts and dealing with the community impacts for years to come," said Hornick. "The interests of working people and their families should be our north star – because when you invest in people, you create wealth that comes back to all of us."
CBC
03-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Dozens rally against paid plasma donation clinic in Whitby, Ont., calling practice unethical
More than two dozen people rallied against a for-profit plasma donation clinic in Whitby, Ont., exempt from an Ontario ban, calling the practice unethical. Demonstrators marched outside the office of the Grifols Plasma Donation Centre, chanting slogans, carrying placards and blowing whistles as police officers watched nearby. "Not for sale! Not for sale!" the demonstrators shouted. The paid plasma centre is the first in Ontario opened by Grifol, a company headquartered in Spain. Paid plasma clinics are banned in Ontario, but the province's Voluntary Blood Donations Act specifically exempts Canadian Blood Services (CBS), which manages the national supply of blood products for all provinces and territories with the exception of Quebec. In September 2022, CBS announced that it had signed an agreement with Grifols to allow it to open plasma collection centres in Canada. The rally, organized by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), brought together union members, labour activists and community members, who said they see the centre as unethical because it collects blood donations for payment. JP Hornick, president of OPSEU, which represents Canadian Blood Services workers, said the Doug Ford government is trying to privatize the collection of plasma. Hornick said there are more ethical ways to address a plasma shortage in Canada than by opening paid plasma centres. "The easy answer to this is to invest in the Canadian Blood Services, rather than expand access to a private clinic. When you create a patchwork of private and public collection centres, what you do is lose control of your blood supply," Hornick said. "You lessen the safety for all Canadians. So we're saying here in Ontario: 'Paid plasma should not be allowed to occur.'" 'There has to be a line,' says advocate Plasma is the yellowish, protein-rich portion of blood. It supports the immune system and helps to control excessive bleeding, which is why it is used to help treat bleeding disorders, liver diseases and cancer, according to CBS's website. Hornick said products should not be sold and that using the human body as a profit centre preys upon financially needy people who need to sell body products to survive. Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, said at the rally that blood is a critical part of the human body and body parts should not be bought and sold for profit. "It ought not to be used in an exploitative way to encourage the poor, the desperate to start to sell their blood to try to make enough money to live. There has to be a line. That line is critical. It's critical for the safety of the blood supply," Mehra said. In a statement on Monday, Grifol said it collects plasma on behalf of CBS and it is "excited" to have Ontario's first Grifols Plasma Donation Centre in Whitby. "Grifols respects the rights of individuals and groups to peacefully gather and share information and perspectives," Grifols said. "The plasma we collect in Whitby — and soon in other Ontario centres — will be used to produce lifesaving immunoglobulin medicines for patients in Canada as part of our efforts to fulfil our commitment to Canadian Blood Services and support immunoglobulin self-sufficiency in Canada," Grifol said. Centre increases plasma collection in Canada, CBS says CBS, for its part, said its agreement with Grifols is "an important part of our action plan" that increases plasma collection in Canada. "To clarify, this plan does not mean Canadian Blood Services is privatizing our operations or giving up control of Canada's blood system. Rather, we are increasing Canadian self-sufficiency in the shortest time possible to reduce our reliance on the global market—which is largely dominated by the U.S.," CBS said. CBS added that, under its agreement with Grifols, every unit of plasma it collects is collected for the benefit of Canadians and is in compliance with relevant legislation. Ontario's Ministry of Health said in a statement on Monday it is continuing to monitor decisions made by CBS to ensure it delivers a secure supply of plasma products to the province. "Ensuring an adequate supply of plasma is crucial to meet the demand for plasma products, particularly for individuals who rely on plasma-derived medicinal products for life-saving treatments," the ministry said. "CBS has developed a comprehensive plan to achieve 50 per cent plasma sufficiency and ensure a secure supply of life-saving treatments for patients. This plan includes increasing plasma collection through new and existing donor centres."
