February 20

SEIU Healthcare hosted our first-ever virtual Black History Month event. We enjoyed live performances, incredible guest speakers, and honoured the contributions of our Black members. Together, we discussed new ways to unify and make much-needed changes regarding equity and inclusion. We also talked about how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Black marginalized communities and heard from our Black members working on the frontline.

February 23

From Thursday, February 11, 2021, to Friday, February 26, 2021, we celebrated the festivities of the Chinese New Year with a live event and social activities on our Facebook page. We learned more about Chinese New Year celebrations, answered riddles, and were taught words and phrases in Mandarin and Cantonese.

March 14

On March 14, 2021, to celebrate Women’s Month, we hosted The Collage Party online with artist Paul Butler. The Collage Party is a travelling, public studio where people come together and make art in a social setting. Members were able to unwind and connect with their union family across Ontario.

May 19

We hosted a special Facebook Live for Personal Support Workers Day 2021. We not only celebrated the essential role PSWs play in our healthcare system, but we listened to powerful stories from our SEIU PSWs on the frontlines. One PSW from each sector shared their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you Mika Poki and Margo Frey for telling us your stories.

May 28

SEIU Healthcare’s Women’s Committee joined together to discuss how the pandemic has affected their work life and mental health. Take a moment to watch this podcast to hear their powerful stories.

June 21

On National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, SEIU Healthcare Secretary Treasurer Tyler Downey and Shyanna Medicine, your Executive Board Aboriginal and Indigenous seat, hung a land recognition plaque at our head office. We also recommitted our efforts to fight for justice for all indigenous communities.

June 22

Union representative Michael Guzman hosted our Filipino Workers Press Conference in Tagalog. During the Facebook Live event, Filipino healthcare workers discussed the impacts of COVID-19 and how Bill 124 has created more hardships.

If you missed the conference, check it out on our Facebook page.

June 30

To celebrate Pride month and show our allyship with the LGBTQ2+ community, we put up the Pride flag at our Mural office. The flag will be up all year to demonstrate our solidarity. SEIU Healthcare is a safe space which means we are supportive and welcoming of all LGBTQ2+ members. We will always advocate for the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ2+ people.

Here is an important message from Larry Kobos, LGBTQ2+ Executive Board Seat, and Mina Amrith, SEIU Healthcare Executive Vice-President.

July 16

On July 16, we celebrated Purple Day, which is when SEIU Healthcare members from all over the province show off their union pride. We received incredible pictures of members celebrating their purple spirit in their workplaces. To see more pictures, visit our Facebook page.

August 12

Our Executive Board Member, Randy Singh-Chung, leads our Young Worker Committee. To celebrate International Youth Day, he shared a special message alongside other young SEIU Healthcare workers encouraging the younger generation to get involved at their workplaces, learn more about their rights and be brave enough to use their voice.

August 30 – September 3

To celebrate Labour Day this year and say thank you to our dedicated frontline workers, we hosted a very exciting digital scavenger hunt for all our members. We posted a secret codeword on our Facebook, Instagram, SEIU Mobile App, email and on our website. Members needed only one codeword to play. Thousands of members participated, and our grand prize winner won a brand-new Apple Watch!

September 12-18

On Environmental Service Housekeeping Week, we asked members to tag an EVS/housekeeper they wanted to thank and acknowledge. Elisa Mesa, a housekeeper from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, shared how her responsibilities go much beyond just cleaning and how the hospital wouldn’t be able to run without them.

October 3-9

MDRD have played an essential role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Without them, we could not perform life-saving procedures and surgeries or prevent infection. Jason Reynaert, an MDR technician from Brant Community Healthcare System is on our Central Hospital Bargaining Committee. He shared his experiences from the frontlines and told us why the MDRD is so important.

October 18 – 24

This year, we celebrated Food Services week by interviewing frontline workers to give us a closer look into the food service department. Indrani Das Gupta from Michael Garron Hospital shared how versatile and vital her job is in the hospital.