November 20, 2025
Gélinas – What is the government doing to ensure primary care workers are paid fairly?
QUEEN’S PARK – This morning during question period, NDP Shadow Minister for Health MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) asked the Minister of Health about the ongoing labour dispute at the North York Family Health Team (NYFHT).
“My question is to the Minister of Health. Forty-four front line primary health care workers from the North York Family Health Team are here today. They have been on strike for five long weeks. They are on strike because they have not received any recruitment, retention or pay increase for a very long time. What is your government doing to ensure the workers at North York FHT are compensated fairly?”
According to the Ontario Nurses Association the NYFHT received additional government funding earlier this year meant for retention and recruitment but is using it to make up for other financial shortfalls.
“The Primary Health Care system has been flatlined for 12 years, a 2.7% increase is not keeping up with the cost of living. While these workers are on strike 95,000 patients are not getting the care this family health teams uniquely provides including: cancer survivors programs, mental health counselling, nutrition therapy, smoking cessation, high risk foot and wound care, and the support that keep their community members healthy, out of the hospitals and out of ERs. What is the government doing to ensure primary care funding is used for the intended purpose and make sure that the primary care workers that are here today receive proper pay for the hard work they do?”
Family health teams provide ongoing, complex, immediate and preventative care that helps keep patients out of overburdened emergency departments.
