23 assaults in September show CAMH is 'failing' staff and patients, says union president
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union has removed bus shelter ads urging a Toronto hospital to address workplace violence, replacing them with ads that don't name any particular employer.
The old posters featured a photograph of a woman with a bruised face. The caption read: "No more excuses: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health must protect its staff from violence. It's the law."
The campaign was in response to ongoing violence at the hospital, including 23 reported assaults this September alone. The posters incited heated debate, with people in the psychiatric community worried the posters further stigmatized people with mental illness.
“Our ads went up to address the issue of workplace violence and CAMH’s responsibility to protect its employees. It has become increasingly clear that CAMH has contributed to an alternate interpretation in the community that was never intended,” said Warren Thomas, president of the 130,000 member public service union.
OPSEU says the campaign would have never gone public had it not been for the building frustration at CAMH over the inaction of the hospital in dealing with workplace violence. The Ministry of Labour has written orders to address workplace violence at CAMH, but OPSEU members say little meaningful improvement has taken place.
"The unions have been at the table with CAMH since 2004 to try and get a violence prevention program implemented. Twenty-three assaults in September indicate clearly that CAMH is failing in its obligations to staff and the patients they serve."
The union wants to be clear that it was not its intention to stigmatize patients and that workplace violence comes from a variety of sources, including other staff members.
There is much CAMH could be doing, including staff training, personal alarms that work throughout the campus, thorough risk assessments, better staffing and clear policy directions and communications, according to the union.
Given CAMH’s new commitment to work on these issues, OPSEU will be asking for a meeting to again discuss protections for workers.
The old posters featured a photograph of a woman with a bruised face. The caption read: "No more excuses: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health must protect its staff from violence. It's the law."
The campaign was in response to ongoing violence at the hospital, including 23 reported assaults this September alone. The posters incited heated debate, with people in the psychiatric community worried the posters further stigmatized people with mental illness.
“Our ads went up to address the issue of workplace violence and CAMH’s responsibility to protect its employees. It has become increasingly clear that CAMH has contributed to an alternate interpretation in the community that was never intended,” said Warren Thomas, president of the 130,000 member public service union.
OPSEU says the campaign would have never gone public had it not been for the building frustration at CAMH over the inaction of the hospital in dealing with workplace violence. The Ministry of Labour has written orders to address workplace violence at CAMH, but OPSEU members say little meaningful improvement has taken place.
"The unions have been at the table with CAMH since 2004 to try and get a violence prevention program implemented. Twenty-three assaults in September indicate clearly that CAMH is failing in its obligations to staff and the patients they serve."
The union wants to be clear that it was not its intention to stigmatize patients and that workplace violence comes from a variety of sources, including other staff members.
There is much CAMH could be doing, including staff training, personal alarms that work throughout the campus, thorough risk assessments, better staffing and clear policy directions and communications, according to the union.
Given CAMH’s new commitment to work on these issues, OPSEU will be asking for a meeting to again discuss protections for workers.
