The predominantly female clerical workers at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto held a rally outside the hospital for an improvement in their wages and working conditions, and better patient care.
“Many of our clerical units are not staffed well enough and have job vacancies,” said Fadumo Mohamed, a medical secretary and president of CUPE 5492. “These staffing shortages create stressful working conditions for us, and negatively affect our ability to provide good service to patients and their families.”
Mohamed says clerical staff are the first point of contact for patients, helping them navigate the system and access care quickly. But staffing shortages contribute to rushed work, missed appointments, and avoidable delays for patients. The union estimates about 50 jobs are currently vacant.
The latest provincial data shows that Mount Sinai’s average wait-time for admission from ER is 23 hours, 15% higher than the provincial average, with only 10% of patients admitted within the target time.
Unfortunately, the long wait-times can sometimes create conflict between workers and patients, with the former bearing the brunt of the abuse from frustrated members of the public.
Mohamed says these issues are not impossible to resolve. She says job vacancies at Mount Sinai could be filled if the hospital provided better compensation and decent working conditions. Better wages would also help with staff retention.
“We find it very disheartening knowing our wages are significantly lower than other hospitals in the GTA,” she says. “Who would want to work at a hospital offering 10% lower compensation than other hospitals on University Avenue?”
The starting rate for health record clerks at Mount Sinai is 10% lower than at Unity Health Toronto; while medical secretaries earn 13% less compared to University Health Network.
The union is calling on Mount Sinai to address these issues through ongoing collective bargaining. The last contract expired in February 2023.