In this edition:
Ontario introduces healthcare plan
The Ontario government has introduced its Plan to Stay Open: Health System Stability and Recovery, a five-point plan which aims to provide the best care possible to patients and residents while ensuring the resources and supports are in place to keep the province and economy open.
When fully implemented, this next phase of the Plan to Stay Open should add up to 6,000 more health care workers. Combined with the initiatives included in the first phase of the plan that are adding 13,000 more staff, the two plans together aim to add 19,000 more health care workers, including nurses and personal support workers, to Ontario’s health workforce.
Industrial Product Price Index up 12%
In July, the Industrial Product Price Index declined 2.1% month over month and increased 11.9% year over year.
Prices for energy and petroleum products dropped 11.6% month over month, after posting six consecutive monthly increases. This is the largest monthly decline for the group since April 2020 (-25.3%). Year over year, prices were 57.5% higher compared with July 2021. Diesel fuel (-13.4%) and motor gasoline (-12.6%) were mainly responsible for the decline in this group.
Canadian EI claimants down 1.4% in June, Hamilton posts largest drop in Canada
In June, 486,000 Canadians received regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, down by 7,000 (-1.4%) from May. Compared with May, the number of people who received regular EI benefits fell in five provinces in June. The largest proportional decrease occurred in Manitoba (-9.1%; -2,000) followed by Alberta (-3.9%; -2,000), Ontario (-2.3%; -3,000), British Columbia (-1.2%; -500) and Newfoundland and Labrador (-1.0%; -400).
According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), unemployment fell by 54,000 (-5.1%) in June, resulting in a record low unemployment rate of 4.9%.
On a regional basis, the census metropolitan areas (CMAs) of Hamilton (-13.1%; -1,000) and Winnipeg (-11.0%; -1,000) posted the largest proportional decreases in regular EI beneficiaries in June.
Ontario College of Nurses proposes registering internationally educated nurses to ease shortage
In a statement today, the Ontario College of Nurses revealed that it had the potential to register 5,970 net new internationally educated nurse (IEN) applicants over the weeks and months to come. These applicants reside in Ontario and are actively working toward registration and therefore are potentially available to the health care system.
The province is experiencing a severe nursing shortage, with 7 in 10 nurses reporting that they are unable to provide adequate patient care due to a lack of available time and resources, and nearly one in two registered practical nurses considering leaving the profession for good.
Teachers’ union rules out strike action at start of school year, but says that current offer falls short
Contracts with unions representing Ontario education workers are set to expire in less than two weeks, but secondary school teachers are ruling out strike action — at least at the beginning of the school year.
“Our OSSTF members will be in the school, said Karen Littlewood, President of the OSSTF. “We are welcoming students back. So excited to see them in-person face-to-face if that would be possible.”
The current deals will expire on Aug. 31, days before students return to the classroom on Sept. 7.
Union officials have stated they are going after more significant raises to keep up with the rising cost of inflation.
“Gas prices, interest rates, all of that. How are workers supposed to continue?” Littlewood asked while speaking to media following a keynote speech at OSSTF/FEESO Presidents’ Symposium in Toronto.
Premier Doug Ford said teachers could expect raises above the one percent cap his government imposed when he first came into power. Brown noted that talks are still in the early bargaining stages, and no formal offer has been received.
Canada Summer Games continue
Click here for a list of events, times, and locations.
Focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
The Root Cause Of Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Burnout, And How To Fight It
Forbes
Remember that chief diversity officer you hired two years ago? Or maybe you called them your director of culture, chief people officer or head of supplier diversity. Everyone was so excited when you first brought them on board—eagerly signing up for training, joining employee resource groups (ERGs) and getting involved in company-wide efforts to change.
Flash forward to now. Your diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) budget isn’t as big as it used to be, and learning opportunities are few and far between. Your company ERGs haven’t met in months. Virtually nothing has changed with regard to how you operate and communicate with colleagues on a day-to-day level. It seems like your DEI practitioner—and frankly, half of everyone else in your organization—is burned out, feeling disconnected and tired of hearing the word “diversity.”
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
