OSSTF Active Retired Members in Action—Queen’s Park Day

On Thursday March 26, ARM (Active Retired Member) Council held a press conference at Queen’s Park highlighting the concerns raised in the OSSTF/FEESO Report on Issues in Home Care in Ontario following a comprehensive survey of their members. Bruce Awad, ARM Chapter 9 President, presented the four main areas of concern:

1. Lack of Hours of Care: Government‑funded home care falls short of what clients require which forces many individuals to live with unmet basic needs. Many respondents remarked receiving fewer hours than requested, leaving families to either fill care gaps themselves or pay out‑of‑
2. Workforce Shortages: Chronic staffing shortages, driven largely by low wages, unpaid travel time, and poor working conditions, limits the system’s ability to deliver consistent care. Home care workers are paid substantially less than their counterparts in hospitals and long‑term care, leading to recruitment and retention problems. These shortages affect service reliability, with missed or late visits becoming common and care requests going unmet.
3. Lack of Standards of Care: Insufficient staffing has weakened care quality and continuity. Frequent changes in assigned workers disrupt relationships and reduce caregivers’ understanding of clients’ needs. Many care recipients report inconsistent quality, limited worker experience, and erosion of trust, factors that undermine patient outcomes and dignity.
4. Lack of Public Accountability: Despite being publicly funded, most home care services are delivered by private, for‑profit providers with limited transparency. A significant portion of funding does not reach frontline workers, contributing to low wages and ongoing shortages. This funding structure prioritizes cost efficiency over care quality, while reducing public oversight and accountability for outcomes.

Council members held meetings and discussions with MPPs Adil Shamji, Aislinn Clancy, Bobbi Ann Brady, Wayne Gates, Chris Glover, and Jill Dunlop, where they each received a copy of the Home Care Report.

Additionally, local ARM Chapters across the province have been holding meetings with their MPPs where they discussed the concerns found in their report.

To read the full report, or to find out more information regarding ARM Council, please visit: https://www.armcouncil.osstf.ca/